AUC faculty and students are in an uproar about a perceived decrease in security at both the Tahrir Square and New Cairo campus.
First, a female student was attacked by a male outside of the New Cairo campus. Second, an AUC student was kidnapped leaving his house at October 6 City. The university has claimed that both students are okay. The University Administration sent a rather anemic response to the university population on March 10, 2011.
Reports of two incidents involving AUC students have received significant attention in recent days; you should be aware that both University Security and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs have been in touch with the students involved and their families. In both cases, special circumstances lead us to believe that they are not indications of widespread or generalized violence or danger. . A University-wide forum on safety and security is scheduled for Sunday, March 13th during Assembly Hour. We look forward to the opportunity to review our safety and security procedures and to discuss community concerns.
Some faculty are totally outraged, and might I say, are losing their cookies . . . .E C wrote
"Worst case scenario, the classes will have to be cancelled indefinitely if the safety of students, faculty, and staff in activities related to their education cannot be guaranteed. And, no more ignoring or dismissing the risk. . They say in my country that "the queen does not only have to be a queen, she also has to act like one "
Note to EC: I saw someone get shot when I was in college in New York, and heard gunshot repeatedly when I lived in DC. What risk? This is a city of 20 million. Puzzled . .
Other faculty have adopted a more reasoned tone. JB wrote
"We are divided and we need to unite. This is not going to happen until our administration adopts a policy of full disclosure. Many people, including many of us, seem eager to believe the worst about the actions and motives of AUC. The solution is not for administration to hide information, but to issue it in full, immediately. No sifting, no spinning: just the facts, please. Rumors and conspiracies can only flourish when people don't trust what they hear. With respect, I don't think we should close down because an AUC student was kidnapped in Six October. I taught three classes, from which a total of one student was absent. When I asked them if they thought we should suspend classes, they said, and I quote, "No." They also remarked that we did not shut down two years ago when an AUC student was arrested by security police during a demonstration"
I think that MH put it well
"If, as many assume, this may be orchestrated (or helped) by the old regime, then having people panicking is precisely what they want."
I particularly appreciated the following words by PG
'We are after all ONE community and only united together we can face this difficult time and make a positive contribution. This requires that we come to campus or find ways of continuing our teaching and contact with our students as I feel it is itself the most effective way of challenging the anti-revolutionaries who are desperate to reclaim the old regime and thus spread anarchy. AUC is our institution as Egypt belongs to all Egyptians and those that chose to live and work here because they love this country. If we agree then we ALL have an obligation to act in the most constructive manner possible to contribute to the new Egypt, albeit within the parameters of personal and community safety. This is not the moment to be pointing fingers, but to be taking action to make things work. I don’t have the answers and would welcome a debate of how we can do this while we ensure safety for us as individuals and our students and staff colleagues. What the Revolution at Tahrir taught us is that we don’t sit and wait for the administration to do it. Egyptians waited for 30 years! We act collectively as ONE community and find our own solutions and means by which we can contribute and maintain safety."
Let us see how today’s security meeting goes.
First, a female student was attacked by a male outside of the New Cairo campus. Second, an AUC student was kidnapped leaving his house at October 6 City. The university has claimed that both students are okay. The University Administration sent a rather anemic response to the university population on March 10, 2011.
Reports of two incidents involving AUC students have received significant attention in recent days; you should be aware that both University Security and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs have been in touch with the students involved and their families. In both cases, special circumstances lead us to believe that they are not indications of widespread or generalized violence or danger. . A University-wide forum on safety and security is scheduled for Sunday, March 13th during Assembly Hour. We look forward to the opportunity to review our safety and security procedures and to discuss community concerns.
Some faculty are totally outraged, and might I say, are losing their cookies . . . .E C wrote
"Worst case scenario, the classes will have to be cancelled indefinitely if the safety of students, faculty, and staff in activities related to their education cannot be guaranteed. And, no more ignoring or dismissing the risk. . They say in my country that "the queen does not only have to be a queen, she also has to act like one "
Note to EC: I saw someone get shot when I was in college in New York, and heard gunshot repeatedly when I lived in DC. What risk? This is a city of 20 million. Puzzled . .
Other faculty have adopted a more reasoned tone. JB wrote
"We are divided and we need to unite. This is not going to happen until our administration adopts a policy of full disclosure. Many people, including many of us, seem eager to believe the worst about the actions and motives of AUC. The solution is not for administration to hide information, but to issue it in full, immediately. No sifting, no spinning: just the facts, please. Rumors and conspiracies can only flourish when people don't trust what they hear. With respect, I don't think we should close down because an AUC student was kidnapped in Six October. I taught three classes, from which a total of one student was absent. When I asked them if they thought we should suspend classes, they said, and I quote, "No." They also remarked that we did not shut down two years ago when an AUC student was arrested by security police during a demonstration"
I think that MH put it well
"If, as many assume, this may be orchestrated (or helped) by the old regime, then having people panicking is precisely what they want."
I particularly appreciated the following words by PG
'We are after all ONE community and only united together we can face this difficult time and make a positive contribution. This requires that we come to campus or find ways of continuing our teaching and contact with our students as I feel it is itself the most effective way of challenging the anti-revolutionaries who are desperate to reclaim the old regime and thus spread anarchy. AUC is our institution as Egypt belongs to all Egyptians and those that chose to live and work here because they love this country. If we agree then we ALL have an obligation to act in the most constructive manner possible to contribute to the new Egypt, albeit within the parameters of personal and community safety. This is not the moment to be pointing fingers, but to be taking action to make things work. I don’t have the answers and would welcome a debate of how we can do this while we ensure safety for us as individuals and our students and staff colleagues. What the Revolution at Tahrir taught us is that we don’t sit and wait for the administration to do it. Egyptians waited for 30 years! We act collectively as ONE community and find our own solutions and means by which we can contribute and maintain safety."
Let us see how today’s security meeting goes.
The university administration must build trust within the AUC community and find a way of showing it that it REALLY is doing a good job securing campus and the surrounding area (which I think it already is doing a good job!!)
ReplyDeleteI think the military is disseminating false rumors about causalities of attacks around Cairo to spread fear among the public so they stop going out and protesting. Using word-of-mouth to spread false rumors is the most effective technique in Egypt.
Also, it turned out that the kidnapped student who lives in October 6 City was actually kidnapped by his OWN DRIVER. I think the probability of one being kidnapped/attacked in Cairo is like trying to win a lottery. What are the chances? :)
@Mustafa. I thought yesterday's security meeting was good. I was very disheartened that more faculty did not attend. ;-(
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