About CASA
The Committee for At-Risk Scholars and Artists (CASA) is a new university initiative dedicated to hosting scholars, artists, and students displaced by conflicts or facing persecution.
CASA is dedicated to supporting scholars and artists who are under threat or in exile from their home institutions and countries.
The committee collaborates with university and community partners to find temporary refuge for the continuation of academic and artistic work.
Guided by the University’s mission to educate for global citizenship, CASA supports academic freedom and the rights of scholars and artists around the world.
We understand that scholars and artists facing persecution for their research, art, or activism come from diverse and complex situations.
The challenges people face stem from various factors that put them and their work at risk, such as:
- Political oppression
- Armed conflicts
- Discrimination
- Censorship
- Displacement
- Other circumstances
For CASA's purpose, we include these groups who've been targeted because of their work in their respective fields:
- Refugees
- Asylum seekers
- Internally displaced academics
- Artists
- Public intellectuals
- Students
Providing Opportunities
CASA acknowledges that the challenges these groups face limits the ability to produce and share knowledge and creative work. We aim to support scholars, artists, and students to reach their full potential and contribute to global progress and prosperity.
We also believe that providing opportunities for at-risk scholars and artists will make a positive impact for our students and communities, and that directing our resources to support such efforts aligns with our university’s core values.
Our Partners
CASA joins an international network of institutions affiliated with Scholars at Risk (SAR) and other organizations that support and advocate for scholars and artists who face grave threats to their lives.
Each year, SAR provides sanctuary or assistance to more than 300 threatened scholars. SAR advocacy also protects the freedom to think, question, and share ideas.
In this regard, SAR publishes an annual Free to Think report that documents attacks on higher education communities around the world.