SAR Academic Freedom Media Review April 14-20, 2012

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.
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Tenured Professor Is Placed on Leave After Showing a Film About Pornography
Robin Wilson, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 4/20
Syrian uprising takes toll on scientific community
Zeki Al Droubi, Nature, 4/19
AAUP Election Results Reflect Backlash Against Recent Leadership Decisions
Peter Schmidt, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 4/19
“None of Our Rights Have Been Observed,” Says Abdolfattah Soltani’s Wife
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, 4/19
Belarus Banned from Bologna Process for Three Years /
Telegraf.by, 4/19
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SAR Academic Freedom Media Review-April 7-13, 2012

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available at here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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Jadavpur University professor arrested over anti-Mamata cartoons
The Times of India, 4/13
Finally on solid ground (in Norwegian – Google translation)
Aksel Kjaer Vidnes, Forskerforum, 4/13
Colombia all ears after students vote with their feet
Graham Jarvis, Times Higher Education, 4/12
Tenuous Tenure
Kaustuv Basu, Inside Higher Ed, 4/12
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SAR Academic Freedom Media Review, March 31-April 6, 2012

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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Faculty union launches bid to shield Attaran
Andrew Duffy, Ottawa Citizen, 4/6
A Call to Respect Rights
Mitch Smith, Inside Higher Ed, 4/6
Don’t Touch My Textbook
Mitch Smith, Inside Higher Ed, 4/6
Amnesty International Urges Sudan to Release Student Activist
Salma El Wardany, Bloomberg Businessweek, 4/6
Ai Weiwei Ordered to Stop Self-Surveillance
Josh Chi, The Wall Street Journal, 4/5
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SAR Academic Freedom Media Review, March 24 – 30, 2012

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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Civil society demands inquest into student’s death, more academic freedom
University World News, 3/30
Academics, journalists vow to work for freedom
Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation, Thailand, 3/29
Mixing politics and science doesn’t help students learn
R. Matthew Poteat, Newsleader, 3/29
Indian Police Round Up Tibetan Exiles Before Hu Visit
Voice of America, 3/28
Saudi Arabia: Stop Arbitrary Arrests, Travel Bans on Opposition
Human Rights Watch, 3/28
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Tell Congress Not To Double Interest on Student Loans

Prepare yourself: on July 1, as many as 8 million college students will see their interest rates on federally subsidized student loans double, from 3.4% to 6.8%. According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, that increase amounts to the average Stafford loan borrower’s paying $2,800 more over a standard 10-year repayment term for loans made after June 30.
It’s worse for those students who take out the most money. Those who borrow the maximum $23,000 in subsidized student loans will see their debt load upped by $5,000 over a 10-year repayment plan and $11,000 over a 20-year repayment plan.  – Kayla Webley, TIME Magazine.

Fortunately this doesn’t affect those of us already carrying such loans and in repayment, though I never stop waiting for that shoe to drop.  I still remember far too well the interest on my supplemental loans being raised to 8% when Republicans controlled Congress under the Reagan administration.  It’s part of the reason my burden is so high now.  Fortunately I no longer have that kind of loan, thanks to consolidation.
The issue with the rate is, of course, budgetary.  Well, budgetary and political, as the article goes on to explain.
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Academic Freedom Media Review – March 11 – 16, 2012

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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AAUP Will Investigate U. of Northern Iowa Over Faculty Cuts
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 3/16
Scholars at Risk calls for letters on behalf of imprisoned Iranian scholars
Scholars at Risk, 3/16
Chicago State U. Is Ordered to Reinstate Adviser to Student Newspaper
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 3/15
Cambridge student protester suspended from University until 2014
Emily Loud, The Cambridge Student, 3/15
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Academic Freedom Media Review, February 18-24, 2012

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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Sociologists Back Scholars in Oral History Case /
Inside Higher Ed, 2/24
Bryn Mawr Will Host Artist Barred by Villanova
Inside Higher Ed, 2/24
Sudan’s University of Khartoum to re-open on 18 March
Sudan Tribune, 2/23
Urgent Action: Academic Detained in Sudan
Amnesty International, 2/23
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Academic Freedom Media Review, February 11-17, 2012

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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Syria ‘arrests iconic blogger Razan Ghazzawi and leading activists’
The Telegraph, 2/16
US for-profit universities ‘unworthy of the name’
Paul Jump, Times Higher Education, 2/16
Faculty Cry Foul Over Intellectual-Property Policy at U. of Louisiana System
Katherine Mangan, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/16
Leak Offers Glimpse of Campaign Against Climate Science
Justin Gillis and Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times, 2/15
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Amnesty International's 50th, 80+ Acts, 76 Dylan Songs, $20, 5+ hours… No Matter How You Count, It Equals Awesome


Amnesty International is one of the most important human rights organizations operating in the world today, and it celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year. Started in 1961 with a worldwide “Appeal for Amnesty” on behalf of individuals imprisoned for the peaceful expression of their beliefs written by British lawyer Peter Benenson, the movement now counts more than 3 million people worldwide.

What better way to celebrate this milestone anniversary than with an album of songs by a man whose songs include the anthems “I Shall Be Released” and “Chimes of Freedom”?  Bob Dylan has long been a supporter of Amnesty International, and Chimes of Freedom was also the unofficial anthem for the amazing Human Rights Now Tour, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1988.
The collection is available now directly from Amnesty International, on iTunes, or at Amazon.  I downloaded the digital tracks, 76 of them, for $19.99 and it’s the best $20 I’ve spent in recent memory.  I’m not exaggerating.  By and large it’s great music, but more on that in a minute.  Let’s get some math out of the way first, if you’re budget conscious like me.  I don’t buy much music these days.  For the most part, I rely on a subscription service, Rhapsody, for my music.  I only purchase music when there’s are really good reason to.  This is worth buying, a bargain by any standards.
It is a 76 song digital download for $19.99, or 4 CDs for $24.99.  Moreover, all profits go to help Amnesty International in its work.  That’s well over 5 hours of music and the satisfaction of helping out one of my favorite causes, for the price of two album downloads on iTunes.  Your average digital LP on iTunes or most other legal sites is usually $9.99 (increasingly $11.99) and it usually includes 10-12 songs.  This is 76 songs.  If that were sold at 12 songs per record , it would be 6 1/3 records.  Nobody like fractions, so let’s just say this collection equals 6 iTunes LPs + 4 free bonus tracks.   If Amnesty International were a record label and not a human rights nonprofit, they’d have known to more slickly market this collection typical price of $59.94, but tell us it’s on sale now for $19.99,  $24.99 for the 4 CDs.  Then we’d know we’re getting a bargain!
Of course it’s only a bargain if the music is good.  It could contain twice as many tracks, but if you only like 9 of them, then you still don’t want to pay $20.
So then, is it any good?
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SAR Academic Freedom Media Review, January 28 – February 3, 2012

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available at here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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Up by his bootstraps
Corydon Ireland, Harvard Gazette, 2/2

Scottish universities facing ‘politicisation by SNP’
Simon Johnson, The Telegraph, 2/2
Among the Majority
Michael Berube, Inside Higher Ed, 2/1
Shared Dissonance
Kaustuv Basu, Inside Higher Ed, 2/1
Quiet revolution, but tasks loom
Glenn Withers, The Australian, 2/1
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