Concerned with Democracy at Rensselaer

Dear President Jackson,

I am writing to express my deep concern over the treatment of the visiting professor Wafaa Bilal and the closure of his exhibit at RPI. I think these latest events are part of a trend of restricting open discussion and democratic governance.

The so-called ‘review’ of the work was done behind closed doors and it was determined that the exhibition is not in line with the ‘overall best interests of the institution.’ I strongly disagree.

The best interests of Rensselaer should include a) a healthy and open environment of academic freedom and education that allows for engagement with ‘difficult’ questions – such as the roots of terrorism; b) a Faculty Senate that has real power to make decisions about the governance of RPI; and c) a unionized staff that is able to voice their concerns.

Instead, I see students that are hesitant to voice their views in classrooms because they are scared of suppression. I hear students on WRPI talk about how the airwaves are an inappropriate place to address ‘political’ issues. Platforms for discussion are being shut down at my school and it is contributing to a culture of fear which undermines creativity, dialog, and real education. These authoritarian measures have a terrible effect on Rensselaer’s reputation as a progressive school.

I greatly appreciate your consideration of these issues and hope that you will consider reinstating the Faculty Senate and re-opening Wafaa Bilal’s exhibition.

Sincerely,

Brandon Costelloe-Kuehn
MS/PhD Candidate
Department of Science and Technology Studies

Growing Concerns

Dear President Jackson,

I’m a graduate student at RPI and I am very concerned about your
recent actions of shutting down democracy here on campus; first it
was the dissolution of the Faculty Senate and then it was the
censoring of a controversial art show (Wafaa Bilal’s). If it was only
the art show that you shut down, I would think that it was just hasty
and poor judgment under pressure from powerful conservative forces,
but coming so soon after the dissolution of the Faculty Senate I can
only draw the conclusion that you and your administration are afraid
of democracy. The fact that you have worked for the U.S. government
in the past and perhaps would like to again in the future is
chilling, if you were to find yourself in that position again, would
you dissolve the Senate if it disagreed with your decisions, would
you advocate shutting down controversial speech? Your recent actions
have more in common with authoritarianism than democracy.

It is accurate to say that RPI is a private corporation and not a
democracy, but why then call it a university or educational
institution if it is not committed to the free exchange of ideas? I
came here for the excellent reputation and the cutting edge art
coming out of the art department; it is known worldwide for advancing
the field of electronic arts. Your reactionary decisions are
embarrassing and the eyes now cast upon this institution discredit my
degree. If future employers ask about this debacle, will I have to
tell them that I got a degree in good behavior, obedience, and not
thinking deeply about our society? I hope not.

Please reconsider both of your decisions regarding Faculty Senate and
the Wafaa Bilal show.

Sincerely,

Dara Greenwald

PhD candidate, IEAR