Reflections on a challenging year
A special message
University of California, Berkeley
Summer 2002
Certain historical events make unalterable changes in our lives. September 11 was one of those events. The Berkeley campus community responded with a deeply moving memorial service held in Memorial Glade just north of Doe Library. More than 12,000 students, faculty, staff, and community members gathered to mourn and reflect. Together, we sought the solace of a community devoted to reason and tolerance.
In the days and months that followed, the discussion, debate, and political activism that so characterize the Berkeley campus manifested themselves in a number of ways.
There were immediate concerns from Muslim and Arab students. Would they become targets of hate? Would foreign students be able to continue their studies here? In public statements and in attendance at prayer services and vigils, we assured students, faculty, and staff of Arab heritage that they are welcome members of our community.
To bring reason and understanding to the 9/11 horror and its aftermath, the campus offered numerous seminars, workshops, and reading lists. We are fortunate to have on our faculty exceptional scholars in International and Area Studies and experts on terrorism and public health. These faculty members came forward in many helpful ways to enlighten all of us and to increase understanding.
Throughout the fall, there were the expected rallies on Sproul Plaza, with students demonstrating vocally but peacefully for and against the ensuing war in Afghanistan.
In the spring, when conflict in the Middle East escalated alarmingly, the passion of our students and others on both sides of the issue mirrored that escalation.
In numerous public statements, press conferences, and meetings with student groups, I have repeatedly stressed the role of a university in dealing with highly volatile political issues. We must provide a free and ordered space that fosters learning both inside and outside the classroom. There is no place at Berkeley for intimidation or violence, for abridging the rights of others to an education, or for the constraint of free speech.
In April, a Holocaust vigil coincided with a rally by pro-Palestine students on Sproul Plaza. There was much discussion on the plaza that day, some heated to be sure, but all of it nonviolent. The Dean of Students and her staff, as a result of the relationships they have built with student group leaders, were very effective in encouraging and maintaining civility.
But following the conclusion of the noon-time rally, pro-Palestine students and other, non-student, demonstrators occupied Wheeler Hall, an academic building. Occupying an academic building interferes with the right of others to an education, a very serious matter. This was the second time that the organizing group, Students for Justice in Palestine, had violated this rule, and as a result the sanctions recommended—some form of suspension—were stronger. Those students face student conduct charges that are being adjudicated this fall.
Another issue arose in the late spring as a result of one section of an English Reading and Composition class that will be taught in the fall. Approximately 60 sections of reading and composition are offered annually and taught by graduate student instructors under the supervision of faculty. Of these sections, one with the course title “The Politics and Poetics of Palestinian Resistance” sparked debate. The graduate student teaching the section is a leader of Students for Justice in Palestine. Of particular concern was a portion of the course description that read: “Conservative thinkers are encouraged to seek other sections.” The English Department Chair, upon learning of the description, acknowledged that a failure of oversight had occurred.
Exclusion of students from a class for political reasons is completely antithetical to our mission. The exclusionary sentence in the course description was immediately removed and the Chair of the English Department intensified her mentoring of the graduate student. It is important to clarify that this is a reading and composition course with this section focusing on the literature growing out of the Palestinian resistance. I, along with the Chair of the English Department, the Dean of Arts and Humanities, and others, read the required readings; all of us consider them appropriate for the purpose of this course, which teaches reading and writing skills as well as critical analysis of a body of literature. The Chair of the Academic Senate and the appropriate Senate committees also reviewed this course and found it acceptable.
Numerous mechanisms will ensure openness and fairness in this section. Each of the 17 students enrolled will be advised by the Department Chair that any concerns about openness, tolerance of other viewpoints, and grading should be brought to her immediate attention. A senior faculty member in the English Department will attend every class meeting to observe and assist the graduate student instructor. With the actions we have taken, I am confident that this section of reading and composition will satisfy the standards we articulate for all courses taught on the campus.
After completing a very challenging year, and knowing that the coming year will again place our campus in the center of issues important to the world, I want to say that I am proud of Berkeley. I am proud of our students for their passion in matters that will shape our world for years to come. I am proud of our faculty and staff who guide students on their quest for learning. And I am proud of our alumni and friends who care enough to write and e-mail me on these important issues.
This year, it was especially important for us to engage as a community. We shared differences of opinion, and we did so with a practiced commitment to civility and tolerance. In the year ahead, we will continue to preserve the rights of all members of the campus community to pursue their reason for being here—the work of teaching, learning, and research—in a caring and supportive environment.
Robert M. Berdahl