15 faculty members from the American University in Beirut (AUB) signed the letter below and sent it to the Lebanese American University (LAU) Administration in support of the nonviolent student struggle against tuition increase:
To the administration at LAU,
We are writing as faculty members at AUB in response to the events of Monday 7th October, in which four students were suspended following their involvement in peaceful strike action to oppose the hefty climb in tuition fees. Your decision to suspend these students was extremely disappointing to us as teachers, and in this letter we ask that in future you consider more carefully the impact of taking these measures.
It appears that the students' strike was a direct response to your failure to engage with them and acknowledge their (very worthy) cause. It was conducted peacefully, in an organised fashion, and you were notified ahead of time. You justified this draconian punishment by citing the fact that they were “psychologically pressuring” professors to end classes and join their protest. We were not present and cannot comment on the truth of this, but will point out that this is a standard, and necessary, feature of strike action, which is designed to disrupt daily activity and accrue support. They disrupted classes in the name of education; they missed their own classes with the purpose of defending education more generally.
It has also been brought to our attention that an email was circulated by the LAU management informing students that they would not be permitted to enter the campus (between October 8th and 21st) without a receipt for their tuition fees. It occurs to me that the students are not the only ones disrupting education, nor is their rationale the least honorable. We are appalled that a prestigious university would resort to such a divisive and alienating measure, which shamelessly flaunts the ugly reality of the marketisation of education.
We often bemoan the apathy of youth, but these students are taking action to fight the commodification of education, the lack of transparency in large institutions, and the increasing elitism of LAU. They should be applauded for their bravery: that they would jeopardize their own educations in order to secure a fairer future for their peers is an act of considerable foresight and generosity of spirit.
Though now rightly revoked, the action you took was both disproportionate and extremely concerning. It sets a dangerous precedent for student protest actions more generally when the administration uses its power to crush, with impunity, an intelligent, and sensitively coordinated, act of resistance. These are our students, and they are the future of Lebanon. It is our duty to nurture and educate them, and to commend their independence and innovation, that they may better serve their communities. In this case, they have crossed sectarian boundaries to join forces in this movement, and they deserve better than to be punished for it. For what it is worth, we admire their courage, are heartened by their empowerment, and offer them luck and solidarity with the struggle ahead. We assure you our position would be the same if such events were to take place at AUB.
We urge that you pledge not to take punitive action against these students, or any others participating in peaceful acts of resistance, and that you begin to take seriously their demands.
Sincerely,
Saif Al-Qaisi, Visiting Assistant Professor of Engineering;
Elizabeth Armstrong, Visiting Associate Professor of American Studies;
Raymond Brassier, Associate Professor of Philosophy;
Jad Chaaban, Associate Professor of Economics;
Maha Damaj, Assistant Professor of Public Health Practice;
Hounaida El Jurdi, Assistant Professor of Marketing;
Alaa Hijazi, Assistant Professor of Psychology;
Priyan Khakhar, Assistant Professor of International Business;
Tarif Khalidi, Sheikh Zayed Chair of Islamic and Arabic Studies;
Ramzi Mabsout, Assistant Professor of Economics;
Vijay Prashad, Edward Said Chair of American Studies;
Reem Saab, Assistant Professor of Psychology;
Imad Patrick Saoud, Associate Professor of Biology;
Arianne Shahvisi, Assistant Professor of Philosophy;
Karam Wahab, Instructor in Philosophy.
To the administration at LAU,
We are writing as faculty members at AUB in response to the events of Monday 7th October, in which four students were suspended following their involvement in peaceful strike action to oppose the hefty climb in tuition fees. Your decision to suspend these students was extremely disappointing to us as teachers, and in this letter we ask that in future you consider more carefully the impact of taking these measures.
It appears that the students' strike was a direct response to your failure to engage with them and acknowledge their (very worthy) cause. It was conducted peacefully, in an organised fashion, and you were notified ahead of time. You justified this draconian punishment by citing the fact that they were “psychologically pressuring” professors to end classes and join their protest. We were not present and cannot comment on the truth of this, but will point out that this is a standard, and necessary, feature of strike action, which is designed to disrupt daily activity and accrue support. They disrupted classes in the name of education; they missed their own classes with the purpose of defending education more generally.
It has also been brought to our attention that an email was circulated by the LAU management informing students that they would not be permitted to enter the campus (between October 8th and 21st) without a receipt for their tuition fees. It occurs to me that the students are not the only ones disrupting education, nor is their rationale the least honorable. We are appalled that a prestigious university would resort to such a divisive and alienating measure, which shamelessly flaunts the ugly reality of the marketisation of education.
We often bemoan the apathy of youth, but these students are taking action to fight the commodification of education, the lack of transparency in large institutions, and the increasing elitism of LAU. They should be applauded for their bravery: that they would jeopardize their own educations in order to secure a fairer future for their peers is an act of considerable foresight and generosity of spirit.
Though now rightly revoked, the action you took was both disproportionate and extremely concerning. It sets a dangerous precedent for student protest actions more generally when the administration uses its power to crush, with impunity, an intelligent, and sensitively coordinated, act of resistance. These are our students, and they are the future of Lebanon. It is our duty to nurture and educate them, and to commend their independence and innovation, that they may better serve their communities. In this case, they have crossed sectarian boundaries to join forces in this movement, and they deserve better than to be punished for it. For what it is worth, we admire their courage, are heartened by their empowerment, and offer them luck and solidarity with the struggle ahead. We assure you our position would be the same if such events were to take place at AUB.
We urge that you pledge not to take punitive action against these students, or any others participating in peaceful acts of resistance, and that you begin to take seriously their demands.
Sincerely,
Saif Al-Qaisi, Visiting Assistant Professor of Engineering;
Elizabeth Armstrong, Visiting Associate Professor of American Studies;
Raymond Brassier, Associate Professor of Philosophy;
Jad Chaaban, Associate Professor of Economics;
Maha Damaj, Assistant Professor of Public Health Practice;
Hounaida El Jurdi, Assistant Professor of Marketing;
Alaa Hijazi, Assistant Professor of Psychology;
Priyan Khakhar, Assistant Professor of International Business;
Tarif Khalidi, Sheikh Zayed Chair of Islamic and Arabic Studies;
Ramzi Mabsout, Assistant Professor of Economics;
Vijay Prashad, Edward Said Chair of American Studies;
Reem Saab, Assistant Professor of Psychology;
Imad Patrick Saoud, Associate Professor of Biology;
Arianne Shahvisi, Assistant Professor of Philosophy;
Karam Wahab, Instructor in Philosophy.
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