Former Interim Chancellor and Provost Eric Spina’s opposition to the American Studies Association’s boycott of Israeli academic institutions on behalf of Syracuse University was a fitting response for the school.

Spina opposed the ASA’s boycott in a statement released on Jan. 7. The Association for Asian American Studies was the first American academic group to back the boycott movement, followed by the ASA, according to a Dec. 16 New York Times article.

Although SU is not a member of the American Studies Association, this recent dispute makes the boycott an important issue for prominent American educational institutions to address. As a campus with an international alumni base and a notable study abroad program, SU has an obligation to provide an opinion on the strike.

In his statement, Spina said education is the “cornerstone upon which, ultimately, common understanding will be reached and peaceful progress will be made in the Middle East.”

As leader of an institution known for its study abroad opportunities and global reach, Spina was right to oppose the boycotts from an institutional level.

We live in an Internet age where diverse ideas are shared around the world in a matter of seconds. Travel is more possible than ever before. Support of the boycott could have set a negative tone for SU’s international reputation and decreased its academic reach to the Middle East — an area of the world former Chancellor Nancy Cantor targeted for recruitment and outreach.

The struggle between Palestinians and Israelis is cultural, religious and a point of international contention. However, universities exist to promote education. If SU had supported the boycott, it would have been directly opposing the goal of uncompromised access to education.

Education should be one of the last institutions affected by international political conflict, not the first to be compromised.