University of Oregon President Michael Gottfredson issued this statement regarding the American Studies Association proposal to endorse a boycott of Israeli academic institutions:

"The University of Oregon is committed to the pursuit of knowledge, freedom of inquiry and exchange of ideas as core principles of our mission as a leading public research university. Academic freedom is the cornerstone of our research, teaching and service to society. An academic boycott violates this fundamental principle. While we support the right of individuals to express and advocate for their own views, we oppose any organizational effort that undermines the ability of members of our academic community to collaborate in support of research, teaching and scholarship. We join the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and Association of American Universities (AAU) in strongly opposing a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and organizations."