Howard University's president has rejected a faculty resolution calling on the school to become the first American institution of higher learning to divest from certain companies doing business with Israel.

"Without qualification, Howard University and I oppose any action calling for a divestiture" from Israel, President H. Patrick Swygert stressed in a letter Thursday to the American Jewish Committee.

The AJC had written to him after learning of the resolution to express the organization's distress over the development.

"I hope that my complete and unqualified rejection of this resolution will serve to reaffirm our relationship with the American Jewish Committee and all our friends who are interested in promoting peace and reconciliation," Swygert wrote.

He also said that the resolution had not been approved according to university procedures and therefore did not represent the position of the university or the College of Arts and Sciences from which it emerged.

He also stressed that the board of trustees would have needed to approve any such resolution.

Howard, one of the country's leading historically black colleges, has about 10,000 students and is located within the District of Columbia.

According to Alvin Thornton, Howard's vice provost for academic affairs, the resolution arose during a special faculty meeting convened to address a "totally unrelated" topic. The resolution was not listed on the agenda ahead of time or in any other way presented according to the rules of proper procedure.

He said that only 34 of the 441 members of the Arts and Sciences faculty were present at the March 8 meeting, and of them 26 voted for it. As soon as the college's dean found out about the proceedings - which he had not attended in person - he sent a letter to the entire school saying the resolution was "null and void," Thornton said...