As a retired Emory University faculty member, I received the winter 2024 issue of the Emory Magazine in late December. Inside the issue was a letter from University President Gregory Fenves. I am struck not by what Fenves said, but by what he did not. His writing did not contain even a hint of acknowledgement of the student protests over the Israel-Palestine conflict or the lessons that the Emory community may have drawn from those events.
Fenves’ introductory letter included an answer to common questions from visiting parents about what Emory is doing “to help students prepare for their next step in life.”
“A lot!” Fenves wrote. “It all begins with Emory’s world-class liberal arts education, which instills vital knowledge so students can understand the complexity of the world, think critically, communicate thoughtfully and develop skills that enable a lifetime of learning.”
Given these lofty words, one might have expected the president to say something — anything — about the student protests against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center and Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Instead, nothing acknowledging the University’s responses, including calling in the police and locking down buildings, was mentioned. I expected and hoped Fenves would have used the letter to reflect on how these challenging events, as well as the administration’s responses, could be part of an education that would help students “understand the complexity of the world.” His acknowledgement would not have had to be self-critical or an exercise in self-praise. Fenves could have simply noted that the events posed both real challenges and opportunities to learn about the roots of the Israel-Palestine conflict that motivated so many people on our campus and to learn about listening, empathy and citizenship.
But, Fenves made no comment in the magazine — instead, silence. This silence is akin to the University’s failure to do what would have helped inform the Emory community about these serious events — namely sharing the after-action reports of its responses to protests. The campus community still does not have the results of an investigation into the events of April 2024. The University commissioned this report, undertaken not by someone familiar with the operations of an educational institution, but by a lawyer, Richard Deane Jr., from the Jones Day law firm. This silence is consistent with the University’s decision to lock campus buildings by requiring key cards over the summer without any warning, consultation with faculty or justification. And, of course, failing to consult with faculty also characterizes Fenves’ decision to add several addendums to the Respect for Open Expression Policy in August 2024.
In the magazine, the president had the opportunity to acknowledge and perhaps explain these decisions. Yet, he failed to do either. Anyone can agree or disagree with Fenves’ decisions in adverse situations. But, at least the Emory community, including students, would have had the opportunity, and indeed the challenge, to confront issues that would encourage all of us to grapple with “the complexity of the world.” Instead, Fenves opted for silence — a silence that rewrites the history of our campus to exclude last year’s protests and the administration’s decisions, namely the use of force in response to those protests.
Rick Doner is Goodrich C. White professor emeritus of political science and adjunct professor in the Rollins School of Public Health. Contact Doner at rdoner@emory.edu.
