Students Demonstrate Against the University of San Francisco

On Thursday, April 16, 2009, students from the University of San Francisco will be holding a demonstration against the university at Harney Plaza at 12:15.

April 16, 2009

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Jennifer Herrera, 661-205-2456;
Ricky Angel, 818-590-0229

Students Demonstrate Against the University of San Francisco

On Thursday, April 16, students of the University of San Francisco will be holding a demonstration in response to the non-renewal of Professor Andrej Grubacic. We strongly feel that Grubacic is an invaluable asset to the university and cannot be let go so idly.

As the students, faculty, staff, and friends of the University of San Francisco, we ask that the university overturn its decision regarding the non-renewal of Professor Andrej Grubacic's contract following the Spring 2009 semester. We deplore the university's choice to ignore the voice of its students in this ordeal; no undergraduates were involved in the making of this decision. Since it was made, the university has repeatedly ignored or dismissed our letters and pleas on Grubacic's behalf.

Professor Grubacic is an inspiring instructor and his classes are an interactive experience. As students, we are expected to help facilitate each session, rather than to idly listen to Grubacic lecture and scribble notes. We leave class feeling empowered rather than weighed down, as well as more optimistic about our ability to create tangible change.

Grubacic received outstanding evaluations from his students last semester, which are supposedly a major indication of a professor's standing at USF. The university disregarded this indicator of popularity and demoted Grubacic from a full-term appointment to an adjunct position, though he still has nearly the same class load with 2 courses and multiple directed studies.

Professor Grubacic specializes in areas, such as globalization and global social movements that a large percentage of the USF community is interested in learning about. He has an enormous amount of student support.

However, members of the university have likened this base to a cult following, charging Grubacic with 'indoctrinating' his students. While we resent these statements, which essentially imply that students are incapable of internalizing information without critical evaluation, we would like to point out that there are professors teaching far more dangerous ideas other than passion for life and struggle against oppression. We do not feel USF would leave another professor in this situation, and for this reason, we feel that Grubacic is being targeted for his 'unrepenting' belief in anarchism. Professor Grubacic does not force his beliefs on his students, but respects us enough to allow us room to think for ourselves.

It has been the assumption of many students that the University enjoys a particularly special relationship with its teachers, and would not consider refusing to retain a teacher without providing evidence of his misconduct or inability to teach at the college level. Even during an economic crisis, we expect USF to keep faculty which students greatly approve of.

As students, we refuse to continue to allow our money and our parents' money to go to a university that cares so little about the opinions of its students in such important matters. Students are the true lifeblood of any university, and we are not mere financial sustainers for the university itself. We demand a say in where our money is going, and trust that in this instance, USF will allow for a portion of its revenue toward the continued employment of Professor Andrej Grubacic.