Attack on Academic Freedom: is the persecution of Dominguez really about<br><div class="gmail_quote">
the TBTool?<br>
<br>
From Brett stalbaum.<br>
<br>
The following is summarized from the UCSD Faculty Coalition letter sent<br>
to Senior Vice-Chancellor Acadamic Affairs Paul Drake on April 5th 2010.<br>
(Full letter reposted at <a href="http://www.walkingtools.net/?p=437" target="_blank">http://www.walkingtools.net/?p=437</a>) I will<br>
summarize some key information from the letter in bullets, with<br>
contextual information noted. Letters of support requested (see below.)<br>
<br>
• As the letter makes clear, professor Dominguez is being charged<br>
based on his celebrated artistic practice.<br>
• The charges stem from a Virtual Sit-in against <a href="http://www.ucop.edu" target="_blank">www.ucop.edu</a> on<br>
March 4th, a day of protest against fee increases at the University of<br>
California.<br>
• Dominguez’s tenure at UCSD is threatened, and the administration<br>
(Drake’s office) has threatened criminal charges based on a prima facie<br>
misrepresentation that the Virtual Sit-in was a botnet. (The former<br>
being legal, the latter being criminal.)<br>
• The nature of Dominguez’s art practice is known to Drake’s office.<br>
In fact, the AVCSS received and approved a promotion file in 2009 that<br>
describes the nature of the research. Dominguez was granted tenure based<br>
on that file.<br>
• Dominguez has held virtual Sit-ins against UCOP in the past, with<br>
no repercussions. This is highly indicative that the current actions<br>
against Dominguez are not motivated by the Virtual Sit-in, but possibly<br>
by other research being carried out by Dominguez and his colleagues.<br>
Note: I work with Ricardo on the Transborder Immigrant Tool Project –<br>
which is in fact one project supported by the UCSD supported<br>
<a href="http://walkingtools.net" target="_blank">walkingtools.net</a> project. The research team also includes Amy Carrol and<br>
Micha Cardenas.<br>
• After a spate of recent hate-crimes on campus, including the<br>
hanging of a noose in the Geisel Library at UCSD, no criminal charges<br>
were brought.<br>
• The B.A.N.G. lab website was temporarily shut down on March 4th<br>
for exercising free speech, yet the Koala (a publication and website at<br>
UCSD with a history of racist provocations) is deemed by Chancellor Fox<br>
to be protected free speech.<br>
Just to add a little more information for the concerned public, a UCSD<br>
auditors’ investigation of the Transborder Immigrant Tool project began<br>
well before the March 4th events, triggered by a complaint that remains<br>
confidential. Since that time, we have been informed by the auditors<br>
that the investigation has been expanded due to a letter from US<br>
Congress members Duncan Hunter, Brian Bilbray, and Darrell Issa. The<br>
possibility that the persecution of professor Dominguez is related to<br>
TBT or other research is therefore highly plausible.<br>
<br>
I also want to make it very clear, I was involved in the March 4th<br>
virtual sit-in as a participant. Yet no administrative charges have been<br>
brought forth against me, and I have not been visited by detectives.<br>
<br>
The full letter (reposted) can be read at:<br>
<a href="http://www.walkingtools.net/?p=437" target="_blank">http://www.walkingtools.net/?p=437</a><br>
<br>
General letters of support for professor Dominguez can be emailed to:<br>
<br>
<a href="mailto:chancellor@ucsd.edu">chancellor@ucsd.edu</a>, Lawrence.Pitts@ucop.ed, <a href="mailto:abellis@ucsd.edu">abellis@ucsd.edu</a>,<br>
<a href="mailto:shburke@ucsd.edu">shburke@ucsd.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:pdrake@ucsd.edu">pdrake@ucsd.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:SVCAA@ucsd.edu">SVCAA@ucsd.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:slerer@ucsd.edu">slerer@ucsd.edu</a>,<br>
<a href="mailto:klarsen@ucsd.edu">klarsen@ucsd.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:arosen@ucsd.edu">arosen@ucsd.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:gkester@ucsd.edu">gkester@ucsd.edu</a>,<br>
<a href="mailto:rrdominguez@ucsd.edu">rrdominguez@ucsd.edu</a>, <a href="mailto:stalbaum@ucsd.edu">stalbaum@ucsd.edu</a><br>
<br>
These are:<br>
<br>
Mary Anne Fox, Chancellor, (858) 534-3135, <a href="mailto:chancellor@ucsd.edu">chancellor@ucsd.edu</a><br>
<br>
Lawrence Pitts, Provost of the UC, <a href="mailto:Lawrence.Pitts@ucop.edu">Lawrence.Pitts@ucop.edu</a><br>
<br>
Arthur Ellis, Vice Chancellor for Research, <a href="mailto:abellis@ucsd.edu">abellis@ucsd.edu</a><br>
<br>
Stephanie Burke, Assistant Vice Chancellor, (858) 534-3913, <a href="mailto:shburke@ucsd.edu">shburke@ucsd.edu</a><br>
<br>
Paul Drake, Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, 858.534.3132,<br>
<a href="mailto:pdrake@ucsd.edu">pdrake@ucsd.edu</a> and <a href="mailto:SVCAA@ucsd.edu">SVCAA@ucsd.edu</a><br>
<br>
Seth Leher, Dean, Division of Arts and Humanities, UCSD, <a href="mailto:slerer@ucsd.edu">slerer@ucsd.edu</a><br>
<br>
Kristina Larson, <a href="mailto:klarsen@ucsd.edu">klarsen@ucsd.edu</a><br>
<br>
Amy Rosen, <a href="mailto:arosen@ucsd.edu">arosen@ucsd.edu</a><br>
<br>
Grant Kester, Chair, Department of Visual Arts, <a href="mailto:gkester@ucsd.edu">gkester@ucsd.edu</a><br>
<br>
Ricardo Dominguez, Associate Professor, Department of Visual Arts, UCSD,<br>
<a href="mailto:rrdominguez@ucsd.edu">rrdominguez@ucsd.edu</a><br>
<br>
Myself<br>
<br>
Sites:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://bang.calit2.net/" target="_blank">http://bang.calit2.net/</a><br>
<br>
<a href="http://bang.calit2.net/xborder/" target="_blank">http://bang.calit2.net/xborder/</a><br>
<br>
Brett Stalbaum<br>
Lecturer with Security of Employment<br>
Department of Visual Arts<br>
University of California San Diego<br>
<br></div><br>