Higher Ed Dive – Latest News
NYU’s updated student conduct guidelines include anti-Zionist behavior as misconduct, sparking free speech concerns. The university claims the changes aim to set a more productive tone and don’t stifle speech. Critics argue the policy equates criticism of Zionism with discrimination against Jews, legitimizing far-right ideologies under the guise of protecting students from racial discrimination. The policy follows a semester of campus tensions surrounding pro-Palestinian demonstrations and debates over antisemitism. NYU adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism in 2020, which some argue has been misused to suppress pro-Palestinian speech.