Pitzer College, a renowned private liberal arts institution in California, recently made headlines by discontinuing its study abroad program at the University of Haifa in Israel. While college officials assert that the removal of this program, along with ten others, stemmed from low enrollment and logistical concerns rather than political motives, the decision has been hailed as a victory by pro-Palestinian activists.
The move to drop the program was lauded by pro-Palestinian students, who viewed it as the culmination of sustained advocacy efforts to dissuade Pitzer from collaborating with the University of Haifa and as a significant win for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement.
The Pitzer Student Senate, part of the Claremont Colleges consortium, passed a resolution in February calling for the termination of ties with Israeli universities. Similarly, faculty members voted to end the program back in 2018, with the College Council following suit in 2019. Although these efforts were initially vetoed by the former president, Melvin Oliver, pressure from various student and alumni groups, including Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, and Pitzer Alum for Social Justice, continued to mount.
A petition organized by Pitzer Alum for Social Justice garnered support from approximately 430 alumni and parents, pledging not to donate to the college unless it aligned with the BDS movement.
Amidst the controversy, Allen M. Omoto, Pitzer’s vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty, clarified that the removal of the Haifa program, along with others, was based on recommendations from the Faculty Executive Committee and the Academic Planning Committee. Omoto emphasized that these programs were not closed entirely but were no longer pre-approved for enrollment by Pitzer students due to factors such as low enrollment, exchange imbalance, or curricular overlap. Students still have the option to participate in these programs through a petition process.
The decision at Pitzer has ignited discussions about the intersection of academia and politics, prompting questions about whether other institutions will follow suit. With mounting pressure from advocacy groups and heightened awareness of social justice issues among students, the impact of Pitzer’s decision could reverberate across higher education, potentially influencing future partnerships and study abroad programs.
