Letter Supporting
American University Students 
​Engaged in Post-Election Protest

PDF

No one knows what will happen following the November 3 U.S. presidential election. There is a significant chance that demonstrations and other forms of activism calling for social justice and democracy will be a regular part of the days and weeks after the election. If this does occur, we expect that many AU students will want to participate in and lead such efforts.
 
In the spirit of AU’s longstanding commitment to political engagement, the undersigned faculty, staff, and administrators pledge to deepen our support for students engaged in social justice activism and organizing after the election. We understand that there are times when events and issues outside the classroom are more important than work inside the classroom. This is clearly such a time.
 
Specifically, faculty among us commit to adjusting course expectations as necessary if student activities in urgent defense of democracy interfere with coursework. This could include providing extensions for assignments, granting excused absences, being prepared for unexpected absences (e.g., due to imprisonment or injury), and other course accommodations for students whose attention may be rightly focused on issues beyond their classes.
 
We encourage other faculty to join us in supporting our students’ social justice work in these and other ways. We likewise encourage staff and administrators to support students in every way they can at this critical moment in U.S. history.

Sincerely,

Adam Tamashasky, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Writing Studies Program
Adrienne Pine, Associate Professor, Anthropology
Amanda Choutka, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Writing Studies Program 
Amelia Tseng, Assistant Professor, World Languages and Cultures
Andrea Pearson, Professor and Director, Art History
Angie Luvara, Professorial Lecturer, Sociology
Annie Claus, Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Barbara J. Wien, Senior Professorial Lecturer, SIS
Brenda Werth, Associate Professor, World Languages and Cultures 
Bruce J. Berger, Adjunct Professor, Literature
Celine-Marie Pascale, Professor, Sociology
Cherie Saulter, Adjunct Instructor, SIS
Christine Gettings, Director, International Programs and Partnerships/SIS
David Pike, Professor, Literature
David J. Vázquez, Associate Professor, Literature and CRGC
David Vine, Professor, Anthropology
Donald Earl Collins, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, History and CRGC
Eileen J. Findlay, Professor of History/Chair, Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies
Frida Larios, Adjunct Professor, Visual Literacy/SIS
Garrett Graddy-Lovelace, Associate Professor, SIS
Gautham Rao, Associate Professor, History
Gay Young, Professor, Sociology
Heather A. McDonald, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Writing Studies/Literature
Irene Calis, Professorial Lecturer, Critical Race, Gender, & Culture Studies
Jane Palmer, Professorial Lecturer, Justice, Law & Criminology/Community-Based Research Scholars
Jesse Ribot, Professor, Environmental Politics/SIS
John Willoughby, Professor, Department of Economics
Jolynn Gardner, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Health Studies
Jonathan Fox, Professor, SIS
Jordan H Amirkhani, Professional Lecturer, Art 
Jordanna Matlon, Assistant Professor, SIS
Joshua Schea, Adjunct Instructor, Anthropology
Juliana Martínez, Assistant Professor, World Languages and Cultures
Juliet Bellow, Associate Professor, Art 
Kareem Rabie, Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Kelsey Ann Kerr, Adjunct Faculty, Writing Studies Program
Kevin Gibbons, Adjunct Professor, Anthropology
Kim Blankenship, Professor, Sociology
Lacey Wootton, Director, Writing Studies Program
Larry Engel, Associate Professor, Film and Media Arts 
Laura Gilchrest, Adjunct Instructor, Anthropology
Lauren Carruth, Assistant Professor, SIS
Leila Hernandez, Customer Service Specialist, AU Career Center
Lily Wong, Associate Professor, Literature; Critical Race Gender and Culture
Linda Golden, Assistant Director, Marketing & Communications, Career Center
Lydia Morris Fettig, Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer, Writing Studies Program
Maddox Pennington, Professorial Lecturer, Writing Studies Program
Malini Ranganathan, Associate Professor, SIS + AU Antiracist Research and Policy Center
Manissa Maharawal, Assistant Professor, Anthropology 
Maria Floro, Professor, Economics
Marie Spaulding, Senior Career Advisor, Career Center
Mark Laubach, Professor, Neuroscience
Martyn Oliver, Senior Professorial Lecturer, CRGC and Director of Arab World Studies
Melissa Scholes Young, Associate Professor, Literature
Orisanmi Burton, Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Patrick Thaddeus Jackson, Professor, SIS
Peter Kuznick, Professor, History/Nuclear Studies Institute
Rachel Robinson, Associate Professor, SIS
Scott Freeman, Professorial Lecturer, SIS
Sharena Payne, Associate Director of Employer Relations, Career Center
Simon Nicholson, Associate Professor, SIS
Susan Shepler, Associate Professor, SIS
Tazreena Sajjad, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Global Governance, Politics, & Security
Theresa Runstedtler, Associate Professor, History and CRGC 
Zoë Charlton, Associate Professor, Art/Studio Art Program