Universities are often asked to participate in academic and cultural boycotts and sanctions that represent the interests of our diverse communities, such as the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign (BDS). The University of Southern California believes in the core principle of academic freedom, and has a longstanding position against such boycotts on the grounds that a robust intellectual environment requires the free and civil exchange of ideas. As a pluralistic university whose students, faculty, and alumni come from more than a hundred countries, we are deeply committed to fostering and reflecting the profound diversity of political, cultural, and religious beliefs and perspectives among our community.