AAUP-TNS Commitment to the University in Exile and Scholars at Risk

The New School has a long history of welcoming and helping endangered scholars and refugees. We call upon the University to live up to its history by waiving tuition for and making free, temporary housing available to any Ukrainian student enrolled at the New School who reports the need to bring their families to the United States. The need is far greater. There is an urgent need for the University to take an anti-imperialist and internationalist position in support of workers and endangered scholars worldwide and to renew publicly our commitment to being the “University in Exile.” 

A renewed commitment to endangered scholars should include a policy that offers a clear pathway to temporary housing for any enrolled student of any nationality whose family members are fleeing war and political violence. The difficulty lies in getting these families here. The Afghan parole process, for example, does not offer family unification; and it may be that few Ukrainian students will be admitted through the US refugee program. It is also not clear on what other kind of visa student families could enter the US. We urge the expansion of the US refugee program in general, the granting of more regular status to Afghans, and the increased admissions of refugee families to the US. 

We support The New University in Exile Consortium, which is working actively to bring both Ukrainians and Afghan scholars and artists to The New School. The Consortium now has more than 40 associated universities and colleges. It is a crucial time for the New School to make visible and accessible University resources for endangered scholars who seek university sponsorship, such as working with the “scholar at risk” fund at the Memory Studies Association and other international intellectual communities in order to host and sponsor endangered scholars and to assist with expedited visa applications.

(March 30 2022)