A Letter of Support For President Miller
January 25, 2023
As members of the Hamline University student body, there is a lot that is being said about us without our voices in the room. In the press, in faculty conversations and in spaces where you think we aren’t listening.
Today is a continuation of an ongoing issue. Our voices as Hamline students have continued to be drowned out in the fight between faculty and administration. When the faculty met on January 24 to vote on a statement demanding that President Miller resign, the voices of the students were neglected. At the very heart of Hamline University are the students, and by voting to ask President Miller to resign, they betrayed our needs.
Miller has shown her support for students. She has sat with us, consoled us and been a champion for us in these trying times, in a way that few faculty members have. We understand that she has to juggle caring for the students and the concerns of the faculty, yet she has been the shield defending this institution entirely taking the brunt of everyone’s disdain. As at all institutions of higher learning, students and administration have had their differences, but we do not wish for President Miller to resign, especially when our vulnerable students need her the most.
Many of the faculty have made comments such as, “Miller had responded to the crisis by trying to pit students against faculty, but the teachers say they [students] are refusing to take the bait.” This does not represent our experience. President Miller has constantly told us that she, the faculty and the staff will be here to support us in our time of need.
Is it because select members of the faculty want a scapegoat for more significant institutional structural issues, such as issues of racism, sexism and faculty discontent? Why now? What about this moment in time has emboldened the faculty in attempting to oust President Miller? We know the faculty who have steadily sympathized with and supported us. We hear you and appreciate you. We are also fully aware of the faculty who have used this as a chance to twist our words and use them against us. Weaponizing the experiences of marginalized students for their ends. This issue, which disproportionately affects Muslim students, should not be the vehicle to call for the dismissal of the president. Marginalized lives are not fodder for dialogue.
The original conversation was never about academic freedom. We originally advocated for reducing harm against marginalized students in the classroom. There is a way to balance faculties’ ability to teach their curriculum in a way that aligns with their values that doesn’t cause further harm towards their students. In the statement released on the 24th of January by the faculty, they said “We, the faculty of Hamline University, stand for both academic freedom and the education of all students. We affirm both academic freedom and our responsibility to foster an inclusive learning community. Importantly, these values neither contradict nor supersede each other” supporting our argument that both academic freedom and the reduction of harm can co-exist.
The process and vote to urge President Miller to resign now reflects poorly upon the faculty and the university as a whole, and as members of Hamline University, we stand with President Miller. We ask the Board of Trustees and the faculty of this institution to listen to what we have to say.
Signed,
Pearl Buabeng
Student Representative, DISC
Assistant Area Coordinator, Residential Life
Co-founder & President of Women Boss Up
Aram Wedatalla
President of Muslim Student Association
Leader of Better Together
Rani A Hamza
Co-Vice President of Muslim Student Association
Player for Hamline Football, Track and Field
Student Athlete
Travis Matthews
Political Affairs Committee Chair, HUSC
Dean of Students Access Worker
Anab Muqtar
Lead Student Ambassador at Admissions
Mohamed Shukri
Board of Elected Representative Chair, HUSC
Dispatcher at Public Safety
Resident Assistant
Deangela Huddleston
Student Project Manager
Catalyst Executive Board for Wesley Center for Spirituality, Service and Social Justice.
Asma’a Omar
Co-Vice President of Muslim Student Association
Vice President of First Gen Scholars
Black History Month Coordinator of Black Student Collective
Emily Hilderbrand
Student Body External President, HUSC Event Programmer, HUPB
Ubah Omar
Leadership Coordinator at SALD Bystander Step-up Training
Student Ambassador at Admissions Catalyst site leader
Taylor Atkins
Technology Coordinator, HUSC Student manager, Hamline Starbucks Student
Katelyn Krummel
President of Mock Trial
Student Athlete
Maddie Swanson
Internal Student Body President, HUSC Student Athlete
Killer Marmot • Feb 3, 2023 at 8:15 pm
What if, at the start of all this, President Miller had simply said this?
“After careful consideration, we agree with the adunct professor that the painting was shown for sound pedogogical reasons and without intent to offend. Simple fairness and the principles of academic freedom demand that we support her right to do this. Students must keep in mind that a university education is meant to challenge them, and that sometimes they will hear or see things that will give offense. That is an inevitable part of the university experience. Although we regret when it happens, we can not in good conscience punish a professor for doing her job.”
Not everyone would have been happy, but more than a few would have been wiser.
In Solidarity • Jan 28, 2023 at 5:14 pm
As BIPOC alumnus, it’s clear how Dr. Miller did the right thing for us and we can’t afford to lose her. Keep fighting the good fight. Know that many of us see you on the other side and are rooting for you. Just because the crusty old faculty don’t understand doesn’t mean that we follow suit.
Mr. Smith • Jan 28, 2023 at 8:29 pm
I assume you mean to say you’re a Hamline graduate who’s BIPOC. A few questions: Who’s the “us” in your statement? What did President Miller do for “us?” Who can’t afford to lose her? Why? What is this “other side” of which you speak? Are you talking about the side that supports academic freedom or some other group that isn’t part of “us?” Finally, why in the world did you (or more likely your parents) choose to pay to receive an education from “crusty old faculty” who “don’t understand” things?
BT • Jan 27, 2023 at 9:38 pm
Dear students, it is good to hear your voices in this discussion, and I hope still more students will weigh in.
But the commentators here make good points: it is not enough to say you feel hurt. You need to somehow address the arguments and issues that have arisen as part of this international brouhaha, even if those concerns didn’t arise from you.
If you want your voices to make a difference, I suggest you seek out and read the articles, editorials, letters of concern, interviews with academics, petitions and other statements that have proliferated in response to the Hamline administration’s actions.
I suggest you look carefully at three topics that you’ll come across: 1. the meaning of academic freedom and the reason that professors (among others) find that so important to higher education and intellectual inquiry; 2. the definition and goals of a liberal arts education; 3. the widespread “adjunctification” of college faculties and the parallel rise of large college administrations that operate on the top-down model of for-profit corporations.
If you understand those arguments and can raise effective counterarguments, you will be advancing the discussion, and perhaps enhancing your own educations as you do so.
Stuart Chambers, PhD • Jan 27, 2023 at 2:51 pm
The issue is simple: the letter writers do not understand the difference between “harm” and “offence.” They were not harmed in any way, legal or otherwise; they just took offence to the pedagogical choice of the professor–a choice that they have absolutely no right to dictate since they have no experience in how to run a class and were not hired to do so. The reason they want to censor the professor is because they want to control the thoughts and expressions of those with whom they disagree. It is an illiberal act dressed up to appear liberal by invoking the rhetoric of “harm.”
Kari W. • Jan 26, 2023 at 11:57 pm
Are we getting the whole story, though? Did Dr. Lopez-Prater act in good faith? Based on every account, Professor Lopez-Prater took great care in her teaching of Islamic art; she noted it in the syllabus, and before displaying the image, gave a warning/two minute lecture on why this painting is revered and controversial and that it had been commissioned as an act of honor, by a Muslim king. Did it happen differently? If so, what was the sequence of events that caused the student to view the image without her knowledge?
Missing from the current narrative is the question: why did the student choose to look at the painting despite multiple opportunities to turn off her screen, leave the room, etc.?
I believe Muslim students when they say they have experienced discrimination, harassment, violence, bullying, and hate crimes. I believe Muslim students when they say they don’t feel heard, when they feel they don’t belong, and when they experience an administration that ignores them. Belonging on campus includes having your ideas, culture, and religion explored with genuine curiosity and caring. It includes having a cafeteria that offers halal food in earnest, with variation and all three meals represented.
I also believe no student should be harassed/threatened/intimidated for speaking their truth. I believe academic freedom is not boundless, nor should it ever supersede care and consideration of the wellbeing of students.
Nor do I believe that one student, or small group of students yields such great power (aside from the most egregious accusations) that they influence decisions at the department or administrative level.
In other words, none of events that occurred at the admin/dept level are the fault of the student. The administration acted of their own accord.
Yet, so too, did the student. Despite multiple notifications/discussions/written communication that this image of the Prophet was about to be shown, she chose to look. Why did she look at the image? Perhaps, she wasn’t paying attention to the lecture? None of us can sustain perfect attention, particularly with the distractions of outside life that infiltrate online classes.
Isn’t part of education, also learning to accept personal responsibility? If the student had ample warning, and still chose to view the image, is it not on them?
I want to reiterate that everyone at Hamline deserves to feel like they are respected and represented on campus. Hamline has failed to make this a reality for many students, and the responsibility for that lies on the administration, and members of the institution with power. It does not lie with the students.
With Gratitude,
K
George • Jan 27, 2023 at 5:05 am
It’s worse than that. All of my reading on this issue indicates that it was not so much that a student did not avail herself of several opportunities to avoid an image that is forbidden by her religion and/or upsetting to her, but THAT THIS STUDENT, AND PERHAPS OTHER SIGNATORIES TO THIS LETTER, HAVE APPEARED TO ARGUE THAT THE IMAGE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE HAMLINE UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM. PERIOD. They seem to argue that the professor in question did not have the right to select her curricular materials. To me that is chilling on multiple levels.
I would like to address another point. Safety. There has been much talk about safety, such as psychological and emotional safety. I fully embrace that discussion. I believe that there is far too much disregard for psychological and emotional safety in academia and, even more so, in the American workplace. In this regard, we have heard much about safety for HU students. However, what about the safety of Dr. Lopez Prater? How must she feel about a campus-wide email that described her teaching as “undeniably inconsiderate, disrespectful and Islamophobic?” And nauseatingly worse, in at least one meeting about this affair, the specter of Nazism was invoked. And speaking of safety, why did the art history teacher’s administration at HU, at multiple levels — this teacher surely being a worthy member of the HU community — in plain, vivid English, throw her under the bus?
A university president’s first job is to preserve and enhance the image and reputation of their university. The signatories of this letter should ask themselves, “Has Dr. Miller done that?”
Mr. Smith • Jan 26, 2023 at 9:55 pm
Reading this statement, one gets the distinct impression the students who authored it think a university education is supposed to be tantamount to a prolonged counseling session, not a precious opportunity to pursue knowledge from experts in their fields. Maybe this is what Hamline University has become—a glorified counseling center—but a good clinician can probably offer more effective mental health care at a far lower cost in both time and money.
It’s no wonder Hamline administrators have completely bungled the handling of this incident, allowing things to spiral out of control, causing what likely will be irreparable harm to Hamline’s reputation. Many observers have commented on President Miller’s incompetence, but to be fair, it must be difficult to manage what’s supposed to be a center of learning when so much of one’s time is spent sympathizing, consoling, and championing the patients…err, students.
The students who authored this statement say they’re supporting marginalized persons in the classroom, not trying to limit academic freedom on campus. They want Hamline faculty members to teach “in a way that aligns with their values” and doesn’t “cause further harm towards their students.”
The authors seem to misunderstand the purpose of universities, which is to create knowledge through ideational contestation, not sanitize learning because of subjective feelings, especially when fair warning is given ahead of time. Although the battle of ideas might seem harmful to some students, those who graduate wholly unoffended probably aren’t getting good value for money.
Students are part of the Hamline University community, but the authors overstep when they imply students alone are at its core. Faculty, administrators, alumni, supporters, and students are all central stakeholders in what happens on campus. What’s happening on campus now is not good for anyone who cares about Hamline University.
President Miller is embroiled in a regrettable controversy that might cost her professionally, but she’s having to defend the university—poorly—because of her own mismanagement. It’s her actions and those of her administrators that reflect poorly upon the faculty and the university, not calls for her resignation by those who recognize what this all means for Hamline’s future.
These are indeed trying times. Student voices are getting “drowned out” and “neglected” on campus, making some feel like “fodder for dialogue,” not “vulnerable” persons “in need.” Given all the demands about doing more to listen to student voices in this statement, one would think they’d have something more interesting to say.
Abby • Jan 26, 2023 at 12:09 pm
Important discussions are being had on the purpose of higher education, and the soul of Hamline. At Hamline the faculty are and should be leading lights in that debate. The board of trustees and alumni are also vital. Current students are an important voice but only one voice, and their importance is determined by the quality of their argument.
Current students: You must be able to engage the debate and persuade others to your viewpoint. Your feelings are not enough, and your status as current students is not enough. You must be able to argue your views with reason, and so far you have not been successful. The near universal opinion against President Miller is a clear sign of this. It is harsh to say, but your feelings really do not matter in the end – your arguments do. You should focus on that.
Mary P • Jan 26, 2023 at 8:29 am
Thank you for this, Hamline students. From the start of this situation, many of us who are not immediate members of your community but are none the less concerned observers and steadfast allies, have been looking and listening for the student perspective. This is the first I’ve heard or read from students aside from very brief quotes in the media from the student who initiated the complaint. Please keep speaking up, Hamline students! You are right: it’s not fair and it only adds harm when the voices of everyone but students are centered and amplified.
Peter Aston • Jan 26, 2023 at 11:04 am
Students voices should be heard, but hearing does not mean agreeing or obeying. These student activists (the original instigator of this mess among them) seem to have a dictatorial view of “being heard”.
You are students. You are there to learn. So learn from this. Essentially the entire academic community across the whole world is saying unanimously that the university president behaved abominably. Listen to them. Learn from them. They are experts and they know what they are talking about. You are students who know very little and understand less. Stop trying to weaponize victimhood and instead try to improve your understanding of the world and the role of a university in that world (“consoling” you is NOT what a university is supposed to be doing).
Donald Barnhardt • Jan 29, 2023 at 9:58 am
The problem in this case seems to arise from the fact that the University “centered and amplified” ONLY the voice of the complaining student. And the resulting harm fell on Dr. Lopez Prater, on her reputation, and on the reputation of the University. There is good reason why students do not and should not determine the content of coursework at any university. One would only be permitted to study that which meets the approval of the loudest and most intolerant censors.