5 May 2024
care & support for our students

Dear Elissa and Martin,

Faculty were present from 11am, when the encampment began on Saturday, until 6pm, when the last student (and some faculty colleagues) was loaded into a police van. This dedication to the safety and well-being of our students should make us all proud — particularly on a day in which students, whose safety had been entrusted to us, were appallingly, arrested en masse. These arrests were made despite the fact that students were protesting peacefully, per the thoughtful community guidelines they drew up and which governed their gathering. The administrative team who were present also seemed genuinely to have the students' well-being and safety as their primary concern, and faculty who were present were encouraged by what seemed to be an authentic care for our students on the part of administration, and the willingness to work as a unified team with students and faculty alike. In particular, Martin Berger seemed to work hard to negotiate not just a change of location, but also to buy time — overnight — for the students, so that they could consult all their stakeholders, since they were organizing through a consensus model. Martin seemed deeply distressed when he delivered the news to students that even though he had guaranteed that the students could have until 6am to decide whether to move the encampment to the 280 building, that guarantee was no longer valid, and that AIC had called the police in (with their full SWAT team), and were going to start making arrests of nearly 70 students. According to Martin, this change of tactic, on the part of AIC leadership, was because of the growing number of Chicagoans gathering on Michigan Avenue in support of Palestinian rights.

Given this, we are confused, dismayed and angry to read the press reports that indicate an alternative narrative to the one we witnessed — one that suggests that only a small number of protesters in the encampment were SAIC students, and one which blames the students for intransigence. And most alarmingly, the NYT article, entitled “The police arrest dozens of people at the Art Institute of Chicago,” in which journalist Yan Zhuang reports that “The Chicago police said on social media that officers had removed the protesters at the school’s request.” This is not what we were given to understand by Martin. We demand, as an immediate course of action, that SAIC administration:

Urge AIC to immediately drop the misdemeanor trespassing charges for those 68 arrested — our students, faculty, alums, and community members.

Correct the record on what took place, acknowledge who called police on our students, and make clear that far from being inflexible, students were close to accepting the offer to shift locations by 6am, when they were presented with a bait and switch and given 7 minutes to make a decision to decamp or face arrest, which is an impossible amount of time in any situation, but particularly in a consensus model.

Explain why, if the problem for AIC was with protesters on Michigan Avenue, arrests were made of our students in the enclosed area, rather than on Michigan Avenue. Keep its promise that students will receive no disciplinary action and will have full academic immunity. This was something Martin promised to them even if they chose the path of peaceful mass arrest and even if they decided to accept criminal charges. We request that you send a letter to all faculty, instructing them that these students will be allowed extensions and should be given grades of INC, rather than NCR, to afford them the opportunity to pass the school year.

As faculty, we are reeling from the bait and switch and angry that our administrators could not protect our students and, according to the news media, were responsible for calling the police on them. We know there will be a lot of healing to repair their trust before the start of the next school year, and we recommend that this be done with outside mediators, using a Restorative Justice framework.

Last night, until well after midnight, and again from 4am Sunday morning, it was faculty (the majority of whom were NTT) and alumni who mobilized to give students (and a few of our colleagues) support and rides home. Again, this commitment and care of our students should be celebrated by our institution, but if we are going to be able to do that in any sort of trusting way, we suggest reaching out to student organizers, listening to what they need from you in order to heal this breach of trust, and acting on that as quickly as possible.

Signed by FJP

cc:

Sid Branca, Assistant Professor Adjunct, FVNMA

Seth Kim-Cohen, Professor, Art History, Theory, and Criticism

Tirtza Even, Professor, FVNMA

Maria Gaspar, Associate Professor, CP

Anneli Goeller, Lecturer, FVNMA

Kristi McGuire, Professor, Adj., VCS

Mary Patten, Professor, FVNMA

Rhoda Rosen, Associate Professor, Adj., Art History, Theory, and Criticism

Sarah Ross, Associate Professor, Art Ed

jina valentine, associate prof, printmedia

158
signatures
138 verified
  1. Mikolaj Czerwinski, Lecturer, Art History, Theory, and Criticism, Chicago
  2. Danny Floyd, Lecturer, Visual and Critical Studies, Chicago
  3. Sarah Bastress, Lecturer, CP
  4. Luna E. Melisande Jaskowiak, Lecturer, LAS, SAIC
  5. Keefer Dunn, Associate Professor, Adj., SAIC, Chicago
  6. Kitty Rauth, Lecturer, Contemporary Practices, Chicago
  7. Evan Fusco, Lecturer, Contemporary Practices, Chicago
  8. Aiko Kojima Hibino, Lecturer, Liberal Arts, SAIC
  9. Jordan Martins, Educator, SAIC, Chicago
  10. Chris Collins, Lecturer, FVNMA, Chicago
  11. Chris Reeves, Lecturer, Art History, Theory, and Criticism, Chicago
  12. Anna Martine Whitehead, Assistant Professor, Contemporary Practices, SAIC, Chicago
  13. Biff Keough, Alumni, SAIC, Chicago
  14. Elliott Gronemeyer, Alumni, SAIC, Chicago
  15. Elena Ailes, Associate Professor, Adj., Contemporary Practices, SAIC, Chicago
  16. Paul Elitzik, Assoc. Prof., Adj., Liberal Arts, ret'd
  17. Allie n Steve Mullen, Assoc Prof, Adj | ATS/SP
  18. Kat Bawden, Lecturer, SAIC, Chicago
  19. Claire Fleming Staples, Lecturer, CP, SAIC, Chicago
  20. Ále Campos,, Lecturer, SAIC Performance, Chicago
  21. Eric Leonardson, Associate Professor, Adj, SAIC, Chicago
  22. Kirsten Leenaars, Professor, Contemporary Practices, Chicago
  23. Hai-Wen Lin, lecturer, SAIC, Chicago
  24. Reevah Agarwaal, Student, MFA, Printmedia, SAIC, Chicago
  25. Peixuan Ouyang, Lecturer, SAIC, Chicago
  26. Rion Hsuanyi Whitwam, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  27. Yixiao Yao, Alumni, SAIC, Rice University, Houston
  28. Carmela Murphy, Chicago
  29. Jonni Phillips, FVNMA MFA
  30. Kate Roper, Student, Saic, Chicago
  31. Bella Vitale, Student, SAIC Art Education, Chicago
  32. Beth Capper, Alum, Edmonton (Canada)
  33. emmett z hartlove, student, chicago
  34. Izzy Cho, Alum, SAIC, Chicago
  35. Madeline Seto, Alumni, New York
  36. Cassidy Skillman, Artist, Chicago
  37. Shannon Stratton, faculty, SAIC, Chicago
  38. Savanna Li, Designer, SAIC student
  39. Jenny Lee, Alum, SAIC, Chicago
  40. Prisma Andrade, Student, Chicago
  41. Julianne TereS
  42. Malia Joe, Student, Chicago
  43. Yasmine Weir, Student, Chicago
  44. Amaya Lewicki, student, SAIC, Chicago
  45. Tin Le, Alumni, SAIC, Chicago
  46. Felix Severino, Student, FVNMA
  47. Dev Stolkiner, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  48. Lane Maxson, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  49. Angelina McComiskey, Student, Chicago
  50. ben young, FVNMA MFA, SAIC, Chicago
  51. Sydney Roland, student, SAIC
  52. Fallon Esquilin, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  53. Anna de la Luz Corcoran, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  54. Scott Richardson Castleberry, Student, Saic
  55. Jeffrey Yard, PTDW Lecturer, SAIC, Chicago
  56. Emma Garthwaite, Alumni, SAIC, Chicago
  57. Anonymous, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  58. Chelsea Swanson, Student, Performance
  59. Ashley Collins, Student, MFAW, SAIC, Chicago
  60. Julia Fetters, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  61. Lilliana Reinoso, SAIC Printmedia MFA
  62. Sarina Keightley, Alumni, SAIC, Chicago
  63. Loretto Crofton, Student, Chicago
  64. Cam Armstrong Smith, Student, chicago
  65. Skye Weimann, student, SAIC, chicago
  66. JJ, student, SAIC, Chicago
  67. Meredith, Academic Advisor, SAIC, Chicago
  68. Trejon D’Angelo, Artist, SPACE.01, Chicago
  69. Garrett Munz, Musician, Chicago
  70. Eli Peters, Student, SAIC
  71. Liz Medoff, Academic Advisor, SAIC, Chicago
  72. David Norris, Academic Advisor/Lecturer, EIS, SAIC, Chicago
  73. Alberto Ponce, Academic and Career Coach, SAIC
  74. Mike Freiheit, Academic Advisor, SAIC, Chicago
  75. Linda Garces, student, Chicago
  76. Elle White, FVMNA
  77. Martin C. Trent, Ceramics Student, SAIC, Chicago
  78. Jonathan Austin, Manager, Dark Matter Coffee, Chicago
  79. Jaclyn Jacunski, Director of Engagement, SAIC Homan Square, Chicago
  80. Cindy Hernandez, MFA candidate/Artist, SAIC, Chicago
  81. Andy slater, Alum, Berwyn, IL
  82. Sunny Gandy, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  83. Eli Zeng, Artist, Performance and Fiber, Chicago
  84. Miriam Wright, Graduate Student, SAIC, Chicago
  85. Erik Akerman, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  86. Elizabeth Evans, Alumni, SAIC, Chicago
  87. Alyssa Sanchez, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  88. Timothy Clayton Burns, Chicago
  89. Sisi Cao, Student, BFA, SAIC, CHICAGO
  90. Kristin Horst, Artist, SAIC Alumni, Philadelphia
  91. Cathy Hsiao, Instructor, SAIC, Chicago
  92. Pia Singh, Writer, Chicago
  93. Lily (Basil) MacLachlan, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  94. Quincy Bradford, Alumni, SAIC, Chicago
  95. Milo (Jordan) Miller, Student, SAIC
  96. Max Whitehurst, ceramics/fibers BFA, SAIC, Chicago
  97. Gabriel Chalfin-Piney, SAIC Alumni
  98. Kelly MacIntosh, Student Parent, SAIC, Chicago
  99. Nora Burke, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  100. Charmaine Bee, Artist, Alumni, Salvador
  101. Taykhoom Biviji, Arts Administrator, SAIC Alum 2017, Chicago
  102. S.Y. Lim, Director of Programming, Public Media Institute, Chicago
  103. Sidney Aldrich, Academic Advisor, SAIC, Chicago
  104. Aiko Masubuchi, Film, formerly at SAIC, Tokyo
  105. anonymous
  106. jamilah malika abu-Bakare, Instructor, Rutgers University / SAIC Alumni, Montclair
  107. Livy Li, Alumni, SAIC, New Haven
  108. Griffin Larese-Casanova, Student, SAIC
  109. Christina Gomez, Professor, Liberal Arts, SAIC
  110. Misael Arrieta
  111. Charles Austin, MDiv, Indianapolis
  112. Leani Pinzon, Student, SAIC, Chicago
  113. Emma Chalut, Alumni, SAIC, Chicago
  114. Riley Lynch, Artist and SAIC alums, Chicago
  115. Kera MacKenzie, Lecturer, FVNMA, SAIC, Chicago
  116. Annlouise Goodermuth, SAIC Parent, Boston
  117. Kelly Nicole Long Jimenez, Alumni, SAIC, Chicago
  118. Maritka Miller, Artist, SAIC alum, Chicago
  119. Fola Akinde, Alumni, Miami
  120. Iris Zhu, Student, Cal, Berkeley
  121. Gabriel Ransenberg, Librarian, Columbia College Alumni, Austin TX
  122. Abby Bucio, Student, Fibers Artist, Chicago
  123. Rachel Evers, student, SAIC, chicago
  124. Alison Ruttan, SAIC, Oak Park
  125. Nicole Davis, Alum, SAIC, Chicago
  126. Nakiyah Longstreet, Student, Fine Artist, SAIC, Chicago
  127. Emily Reinhard, Fishers
  128. Anthony Hamilton, Staff/CS Faculty, School of the Art Institute, Chicago
  129. Josephine Yanasak-Leszczynski, Rights + Reproductions Specialist, Art Institute of Chicago
  130. Lily Clouse, MAVCS Alum, SAIC
  131. Catie Rutledge, SAIC Alumni, Chicago
  132. thomas huston, MAVCS Alum
  133. Erin Shales, Senior Animator, Indianapolis
  134. Azita Youssefi, Alumni, SAIC, Chicago
  135. Jacqueline Sartore, Alumni, SAIC
  136. Sarah Belknap, Associate Professor, Adj., CP, Sculpture, Academic Spine
  137. Jo belknap, Associate Prof. ,Adj. CP, Chicago
  138. Pablo Garcia, Associate Professor, Contemporary Practices, Chicago