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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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An open letter from American University faculty members to students after the 2016 US elections

Dear AU Students,

As you are aware, members of university communities across the country have already been targeted with physical violence and racist or otherwise hateful speech in the wake of the U.S. elections. Our campus has not been spared from these tensions. At this moment, it is incumbent on us that we redouble our efforts to foster an inclusive and diverse academic community while respecting all forms of legal protest. Only by enabling and cherishing such an inclusive, diverse and politically active community will we survive and overcome the threats of the current national political climate.

As faculty members at American University, we are deeply concerned about racist graffiti and assaults on vulnerable minority students on campus. All students, whether black, brown, Muslim, Jewish, Arab, LGBTQ+, Latinx, Asian, Native American, female, those with disabilities and those with or without immigration papers, have the right to feel safe on campus. As professors we affirm our solidarity with our students and our condemnation of all forms of discrimination, bigotry, bullying, hate speech, sexual assault and violence.

We call upon the University leadership and administration to similarly reaffirm their unconditional commitment to American University’s mission of inclusion and diversity. We ask that University leadership continue to welcome students, faculty and staff from different races, ethnicities, economic backgrounds, genders, religions, sexual orientations and nationalities. We ask that university leadership protect academic freedom and assure faculty and students that we will be able to express our views in the classroom and respectfully disagree with each other when necessary. And we ask that when the situation calls for it, University leadership remain unequivocal in its protection of the right to nonviolent assembly and protest by students, faculty and staff.

We, the undersigned, stand with all members of our American University community as we work to uphold the pledges we have made in this letter. We thank you all for your hard work today and in the coming months.

Yours Sincerely,

Aaron P. Boesenecker, Assistant Professor, SIS

Cathy Lisa Schneider, Associate Professor, SIS

Daniel E. Esser, Associate Professor, SIS

Malini Ranganathan, Assistant Professor, SIS

Patrick Thaddeus Jackson, Professor, SIS

Randolph Persaud, Associate Professor, SIS

As of noontime on 21 November 2016, this open letter had been signed by 192 additional members of the American University faculty, for an overall total of 198 signatures. If you are a member of the American University faculty and wish to add your signature, please use this link: https://goo.gl/forms/firtfemCc5tl7KPH2.

All signatories, including the authors, as of noontime on November 21, 2016, are listed alphabetically below:

Aaron P. Boesenecker, Assistant Professor, SIS

Adam Auerbach, Assistant Professor, SIS

Adam Diamond, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Adam Tamashasky, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Literature/CAS

Adrienne LeBas, Associate Professor, Government/SPA

Adrienne Pine, Associate Professor, Anthropology/CAS

Agustina Giraudy, Assistant Professor, SIS

Alan Kraut, University Professor, History/CAS

Alex Hodges, Associate Librarian and Affiliate Associate Professor of Education, University Library and Education/CAS

Alexander Cromwell, Instructor, SIS and SPExS

Ali Erol, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Alison Thomas, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Department of Literature/CAS

Amanda Taylor, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Amitav Acharya, Distinguished Professor, SIS

Amy Eisman, Director, Media Entrepreneurship & Special Programs, SOC

Ana Serra, Associate Professor, World Languages and Cultures/CAS

Anders Hardig, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Andrea Pearson, Associate Professor, Art History/CAS

Angela J. Davis, Professor, WCL

Angie Chuang, Associate Professor, SOC

Anita G. Sherman, Associate Professor, Literature/CAS

Anthony Wanis-St. John, Associate Professor, SIS

Aram Sinnreich, Associate Professor, SOC

Barbara Wien, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Bill Belding, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Bill Davies, Associate Professor, SPA

Boaz Atzili, Associate Professor, SIS

Bram Groen, Senior Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Brendon K. Vayo, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, Literature/CAS

Brigid Maher, Associate Professor, SOC

Bruce Miller, Adjunct Instructor, Literature/CAS

C. Anne Claus, Assistant Professor, Anthropology/CAS

Cara Gabriel, Assistant Professor, Performing Arts/CAS

Carl LeVan, Associate Professor, SIS

Carolyn Gallaher, Associate Professor, SIS

Cathy Lisa Schneider, Associate Professor, SIS

Chana Barron, Assistant Professor, Justice, Law, and Criminology/SPA

Charles Cox, Senior Professorial Lecturer, College Writing Program/CAS

Chemi Montes, Associate Professor, Graphic Design/CAS

Chenyang Xiao, Associate Professor, Sociology/CAS

Chris Palmer, Distinguished Film Producer in Residence, SOC

Christine BN Chin, Professor, SIS

Christopher Simpson, Professor, SOC

Chuck Call, Associate Professor and Faculty President, SIS

Cindy Bair Van Dam, Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer, Literature/CAS

Claire Brunel, Assistant Professor, SIS

Claire Griggs, Professorial Lecturer, Justice, Law, and Criminology/SPA

Claire Metelits, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Claudia Hofmann, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Dan Schneider, Assistant Professor, SIS

Daniel E. Esser, Associate Professor, SIS

Daniel Puskin, Professorial Lecturer, SPA

Dave Ohls, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

David Banks, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

David Bell Mislan, Assistant Professor, SIS

David Hirschmann, Professor, SIS

David Keplinger, Professor, Literature/CAS

David Pike, Professor, Literature/CAS

David Ramos, Professorial Lecturer, Art/CAS

David Vine, Associate Professor, Anthropology/CAS

Derrick L. Cogburn, Associate Professor, Institute on Disability and Public Policy/SIS

Despina Kakoudaki, Associate Professor, Literature/CAS

Diane Singerman, Associate Professor, Government/SPA

Doga Ulas Eralp, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Don Kimes, Professor, Art/CAS

Donna Dietz, Professorial Lecturer, Math/Stat and Computer Science/CAS

Dustin Friedman, Assistant Professor, Literature/CAS

Eileen J. Findlay, Professor, History and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies/CAS

Elizabeth Cohn, Assistant Professor, SIS

Eric Hershberg, Professor, Government/SPA and Center for Latin American and Latino Studies

Erik Dussere, Associate Professor, Literature/CAS

Erin Collins, Assistant Professor, SIS

Ernesto Castañeda, Assistant Professor, Sociology/CAS

Esther Holtermann, Senior Professorial Lecturer, World Languages and Cultures/CAS

Evan Berry, Associate Professor, Philosophy and Religion/CAS

Eve Bratman, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Garret Martin, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Garrett Graddy-Lovelace, Assistant Professor, SIS

Gary Weaver, Professor, SIS

Gay Young, Professor, Sociology/CAS

Gina Lambright, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Gordon Adams, Professor Emeritus, SIS

Guy Ziv, Assistant Professor, SIS

Heather McDonald, Professorial Lecturer, Literature/CAS

Helen Langa, Associate Professor, Art History/CAS

Hiroaki Ataka, Visiting Associate Professor, SIS

Ira P. Robbins, Professor, WCL

J. Ann Tickner, Distinguished Scholar in Residence, SIS

J. Hunter Hoskins, Professor, Literature/CAS

James Goldgeier, Professor, SIS

James Mittelman, Distinguished Scholar in Residence and University Professor Emeritus, SIS

Jane Palmer, Professorial Lecturer and Director, Community-Based Research Scholars Program, Justice, Law, and Criminology/SPA

Janet G. Auten, Director, Writing Center, Literature/CAS

Jeff Bachman, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Jeffrey Middents, Associate Professor, Literature/CAS

Jennifer Poole, Assistant Professor, SIS

Jenny Roberts, Professor, WCL

Jeremy Shiffman, Professor, Public Administration and Policy/SPA

Ji-Young Lee, Assistant Professor, SIS

Joanne Allen, Professorial Lecturer, Art History/CAS

Jocelyn McCarthy, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Literature/CAS

Joe Young, Associate Professor, SIS and SPA

John C. King, Assistant Professor, SIS

John Hyman, Director, College Writing Program, Literature/CAS

John Willoughby, Professor, Economics/CAS

Jonathan Fox, Professor, SIS

Jordanna Matlon, Assistant Professor, SIS

Judith Shapiro, Scholar in Residence and Director, NRSD Program, SIS

Juliana Martínez, Assistant Professor, World Languages and Cultures/CAS

Karen Baehler, Scholar in Residence, Department of Public Administration and Policy/SPA

Kate Resnick, Associate Professor, Art/CAS

Keith Darden, Associate Professor, SIS

Kelly Joyner, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Literature/CAS

Ken Conca, Professor, SIS

Kendra Salois, Assistant Professor, Performing Arts/CAS

Khaldoun Abou Assi, Assistant Professor, SPA

Kiho Kim, Professor, Environmental Science/CAS

Kim Blankenship, Professor, Sociology/CAS

Krista Tuomi, Assistant Professor, SIS

Kyle G. Dargan, Associate Professor, Literature/CAS

Lacey Wootton, Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer, Literature/CAS

Laura Field, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Lauren Carruth, Assistant Professor, SIS

Lauren Weis, Assistant Professor, Philosophy and Religion/CAS

Leah Johnson, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Literature/CAS

Leena Jayaswal, Associate Professor, SOC

Leena Jayaswal, Associate Professor, SOC

Leonard Steinhorn, Professor, SOC

Lily Wong, Assistant Professor, Literature/CAS

Linda Lucia Lubrano, Professor Emerita, SIS

Lindsey Green-Simms, Assistant Professor, Literature/CAS

Louis W. Goodman, Professor, SIS

Lydia Morris Fettig, Senior Professorial Lecturer, CAS

Maggie Burnette Stogner, Associate Professor, SOC

Maina Singh, Scholar in Residence, SIS

Malini Ranganathan, Assistant Professor, SIS

Marion Dixon, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Martyn Oliver, Professorial Lecturer, Philosophy and Religion/CAS

Mary Gray, Professor, Math/Stat and Computer Science/CAS

Max Paul Friedman, Professor, History/CAS

Melissa Scholes Young, Professorial Lecturer, Literature/CAS

Michael Bader, Assistant Professor, Sociology/CAS

Michael E. Tigar, Emeritus Professor, WCL

Michelle Engert, Scholar in Residence, Justice, Law, and Criminology/SPA

Mike Schroeder, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Miles Kahler, Distinguished Professor, SIS

Mirjana Morosini, Instructor, SIS

Molly Dondero, Assistant Professor, Sociology/CAS

Nancy L. Sachs, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Nathan A. Paxton, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Patrick Thaddeus Jackson, Professor, SIS

Paul Wapner, Professor, SIS

Pek Koon Heng, Assistant Professor, SIS

Quansheng Zhao, Professor, SIS

Rachel Louise Snyder, Associate Professor, Literature/CAS

Rachel S. Robinson, Associate Professor, SIS

Randall Henning, Professor, SIS

Randolph Persaud, Associate Professor, SIS

Rebecca Hamilton, Assistant Professor, WCL

Robert Kelley, Assistant Professor, SIS

Robert L. Tsai, Professor, WCL

Robert Tomasko, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer and Director, Social Enterprise Program, SIS

Roberta Rubenstein, Professor of Literature, Literature/CAS

Robin Broad, Professor, SIS

Rosemary E Shinko, Assistant Professor, SIS

Sally Shelton-Colby, Distinguished Diplomat in Residence, SIS

Sarah Cleeland Knight, Assistant Professor, SIS

Sarah J Trembath, Instructor, College Writing Program/CAS

Sarah Marsh, Professorial Lecturer, Literature/CAS

Sarah Snyder, Associate Professor, SIS

Saul Newman, Associate Professor, Government/SPA

Scott Freeman, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Shadi Mokhtari, Assistant Professor, SIS

Shalini Venturelli, Associate Professor, SIS

Sharon Weiner, Associate Professor, SIS

Shawn Bates, Assistant Professor, SIS

Shoon Murray, Associate Professor, SIS

Simon Nicholson, Assistant Professor, SIS

Stephanie Fischer, Executive in Residence, SIS

Stephen J. Silvia, Professor, SIS

Stephen Tankel, Assistant Professor, SIS

Stina Oakes, Professorial Lecturer, Literature/CAS

Sunita Patel, Practitioner in Residence, WCL

Susan McDonic, Assistant Professor, Sociology/CAS

Susan Shepler, Associate Professor, SIS

Susan Thomas, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Susanna Campbell, Assistant Professor, SIS

Tazreena Sajjad, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Therese Runstedtler, Associate Professor, History and Critical Race, Gender & Culture Studies/CAS

Todd Eisenstadt, Professor, Government/SPA

Tom Moriarty, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Tony Quainton, Distinguished Diplomat in Residence, SIS

Trisha Reichler, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, Literature/CAS

Tristan Cabello, Professoral Lecturer, Race, Gender and Culture Studies/CAS

Victoria Kiechel, Professorial Lecturer, SIS

Vidyamali Samarasinghe, Professor, SIS

Wanda L. Wigfall-Williams, Assistant Professor, SIS

Yang Zhang, Assistant Professor, SIS


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