[-empyre-] Fwd: Scholars for Academic Justice Letter

[Brett Stalbaum]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Ricardo Dominguez <rrdominguez at ucsd.edu>
> Date: April 22, 2010 10:11:57 AM PDT
> To: micha cardenas / azdel slade <azdelslade at gmail.com>, "Dominguez,  
> Ricardo" <rrdominguez at ucsd.edu>, "Stalbaum, Brett"  
> <bstalbaum at ucsd.edu>, "amysara at umich.edu" <amysara at umich.edu>
> Subject: Scholars for Academic Justice Letter
> Reply-To: "Dominguez, Ricardo" <rrdominguez at ucsd.edu>
>
> April 21, 2010
>
> Seth Lerer
> Office of the Dean
> Division of Arts and Humanities
> 9500 Gilman Drive #0406
> La Jolla, CA 92092-0406
>
> Dear Dean Lerer,
>
> We have recently learned of the investigation of Professor Ricardo
> Dominguez regarding his artistic project, “Virtual Sit-In on  
> University
> of
 California Office of the President,” which was developed
> alongside recent student protests opposing hate crimes on campus.
> Furthermore, we have become aware of a legal case raised against him  
> that,
> if successful, could lead to his loss of tenure at the university.   
> As an
> organization committed to the support of academic freedom we are  
> appalled
> at this case.  As you know, Dr. Dominguez is held in the highest  
> regard by
> his colleagues and enjoys an international reputation as a scholar and
> artist.
>
> The UCSD mission statement declares  “UC San Diego embraces diversity,
> equity, and inclusion as essential ingredients of academic  
> excellence in
> higher education.”  Furthermore, in your Principles of Community, you
> “affirm the right to freedom of expression at UCSD. We promote open
> expression of our individuality and our diversity within the bounds of
> courtesy, sensitivity, confidentiality, and respect.”  Clearly, the
> persecution of Dr. Dominguez and concurrent silence towards racism on
> campus is in direct opposition to these values of the university.
>
> It is evident from this case that UCSD is attempting to silence  
> faculty,
> staff and students who publicly express progressive views on the  
> subject
> of racial justice despite the university’s “commitment” to mutual  
> respect
> and diversity.  The university is targeting faculty who defend the  
> rights
> of students of color while forgiving the perpetrators of campus hate
> crimes, the continuance of which infringes upon the rights of  
> students of
> color to attend school free of physical and emotional violence.
>
> This case makes it clear that UCSD is, in fact, not “committed to
> promoting and supporting a community where all people can work and  
> learn
> together in an atmosphere free of abusive or demeaning treatment.”  
> It is
> also clear that UCSD does not “reject acts of discrimination based on
> race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation,  
> religion,
> and political beliefs, and… confront and appropriately respond to such
> acts” as suggested by your campus principles of community.  If UCSD is
> truly dedicated to eliminating discrimination and supporting an  
> academic
> climate free of abusive and demeaning treatment, the university will  
> drop
> the charges against Professor Dominguez and instead focus on  
> prosecuting
> those who pose a real threat to your mission statement and the  
> safety of
> your campus community.  Instead of targeting Dr. Dominguez, swift
> attention needs to be directed to those who have issued death threats
> against him and other researchers, have destroyed campus property, and
> intimated students of color on campus (the very people Dr. Dominguez  
> and
> others are working to support).
>
> Scholars for Academic Justice strongly urges the UCSD administration  
> to
> cease the intimidation of Dr. Dominguez, and to, instead, recognize  
> and
> join the faculty, staff, and students working together to fulfill the
> mission of the university to promote a safe, respectful, diverse, and
> equitable environment by focusing its efforts onto those causing  
> harm to
> your students, faculty, and the broader campus community.  Please,  
> stand
> by your mission and work to make UCSD a place where faculty, staff,  
> and
> students feel valued, respected, and free to voice criticism against
> threats to academic integrity, as well as physical and personal well
> being. Thank you.
>
> Sincerely,
> Scholars for Academic Justice
> Minneapolis, Minnesota
> http://scholarsforacademicjustice.org/
> scholarsforacademicjustice at gmail.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Ricardo Dominguez
> Associate Professor
> Hellman Fellow
>
> "Another University is Possible"
>
> Help restore democracy to California today: http://www.CAMajorityRule.com
>
> Visual Arts Department, UCSD
> http://visarts.ucsd.edu/
> Principal Investigator, CALIT2
> http://calit2.net
> Co-Chair gallery at calit2
> http://gallery.calit2.net
> CRCA Researcher
> http://crca.ucsd.edu/
> Ethnic Studies Affiliate
> http://www.ethnicstudies.ucsd.edu/
> Center for Iberian and Latin American Studies Affiliate
> http://cilas.ucsd.edu
>
>
> Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics,
> Board Member
> http://hemi.nyu.edu
>
> University of California, San Diego,
> 9500 Gilman Drive Drive,
> La Jolla, CA 92093-0436
> Phone: (619) 322-7571
> e-mail: rrdominguez at ucsd.edu
>
> Project sites:
> site: http://bang.calit2.net
> site: http://gallery.calit2.net
> site: http://pitmm.net
> blog:http://post.thing.net/blog/rdom
> site: http://www.thing.net/~rdom


--
Brett Stalbaum, Lecturer, LSOE
Coordinator, Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts Major (ICAM)
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
Department of Visual Arts
9500 GILMAN DR. # 0084
La Jolla CA 92093-0084
http://www.walkingtools.net

OFFICE HOURS (Note: these change every quarter)

FALL 2009: Wednesdays, 1-3PM, Mandeville 221 (Near Vis Arts Advising)

WINTER 2009:  Tuesdays, 1-3PM, Mandeville 221 !!!*Moving to VAF, TBA,  
sometime during Winter Quarter*!!!