PRESS RELEASE – Statement From The Office of AUA President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement from the Office of AUA President 

As the political climate in Armenia continues to remain tense, leading to frequent clashes of political opinions both inside and outside of AUA, the University reaffirms its apolitical stance as an institution. We remain deeply committed to the right to free speech and encourage our staff and faculty to freely share their opinions as individuals. In the email below, addressed to the AUA community on December 23, 2020, AUA President Dr. Karin Markides affirmed this position. 

Date: December 23, 2020

Subject: Respecting Our Diversity of Opinions

In this time of extraordinary stress in our society, I want to express again my praise for the high standard of dedication that students, faculty, and staff continue to use to ensure quality education despite the unprecedented conditions. 

As an educational institution, AUA has a broad and diverse constituency, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the administration and trustees. Each member of this institution will have his/her own political opinion, and we encourage them to discuss, elaborate, and communicate their views in a respectful manner. However, while respecting the diversity of opinions among our constituency, as an institution we do not align with any particular political view. It should be widely understood that AUA does not take or condone any particular political positions, and it will continue its mission of supporting the welfare of Armenia and the education of its students. 

At AUA, faculty are encouraged to take their individual knowledge, interpretations, views, and opinions outside of the university. With this letter, I reinforce that this individual societal contribution is desired, expected and commendable and it will strengthen AUA as a trustworthy institution, as long as it is without doubt that the word is from individual faculty, staff, or students and who are not speaking for the institution.

As an institution, AUA is governed by trust and an understanding of and commitment to university policies. This collective trust needs continuous processing, and the level of trust can be measured by the undivided support of the AUA community on an institutional level. When the social contract is protected and developed, it will allow for faculty, students, and staff to express individual views on any issue.

It is sad to find that the social contract at AUA is challenged by its own leaders and other honorable members of our community. This contract is defined by our jointly developed policies, and it needs to stay on higher ground and withstand any threats of mistrust. The senior AUA community owes this to the next generation and to the lifelong learners that choose AUA for their education. We all need to live up to this standard, by supporting each other and the AUA brand.

We all understand and respect the pain and emotions that surge through our society, and as a university, we follow the guidelines set by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), in situations when our ideas are considered threatening to religious, political, or social agendas. “When teachers speak or write in public, whether via social media or in academic journals, they are able to articulate their own opinions without the fear from institutional restriction or punishment, but they are encouraged to show restraint and clearly specify that they are not speaking for their institution. In practice, academic freedom is protected by institutional rules and regulations, letters of appointment, faculty handbooks, collective bargaining agreements, and academic custom.” At AUA, these institutional rules are clearly stated in our portfolio of policies. 

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