29 May 2018
Lindsay Gordon, Chancellor, UBC
Santa J, Ono, President and vice-Chancellor, UBC
Dear Mr Gordon and Dr Ono:
“Pursuing excellence in research, learning and engagement to foster global citizenship and advance a sustainable and just society across British Columbia, Canada and the world.” – UBC’s purpose per Shaping UBC’s Next Century: Strategic Plan, 2018-2028
A UBC alumna, Loujain Al-Hathloul (Arts, 2014), has been detained without clear charges and without ability to contact her family in Saudi Arabia. Ms Al-Hathloul is a well-known human rights activist in Saudi Arabia. The nature and timing of her detention strongly suggest that it is part of a crackdown on human rights in Saudi Arabia.
We, the undersigned, are deeply troubled by the following official response to a request that UBC comment on Ms Al-Hathloul’s detention:
“A spokesperson for UBC declined to comment on the case, saying the university has over 300,000 alumni and that it would be ‘inappropriate’ to comment on actions unrelated to their time at UBC.”
As a degree-holder from UBC, Ms Al-Hathloul is a life-long member of UBC Convocation. In this sense her time in the UBC academic community has not ended. We as faculty members at UBC (and thus as members of Convocation also) expect and demand that UBC show more concern for the welfare of all members of the UBC community—and certainly those whose human rights are actively being violated.
Moreover, we do not believe and would be entirely chagrined to discover that Ms Al-Hathloul’s human rights work is “unrelated to [her] time” as a UBC student. UBC endorses human rights in many of policies and statements. We expect that these values will be instilled in all of the members of our community. When alumni lead in the effort to advance human rights around the world, we must actively support them. Otherwise we cannot fulfil what our new strategic plan claims to be our university purpose—the advancement of global citizenship and justice around the world.
We, the undersigned, call upon the President, the Chancellor, and the Board of Governors to fulfil their obligations to Ms Al-Hathloul: to actively and publically demand that she be treated justly in Saudi Arabia and to work to assure that she is so treated.
Dr Ono is quoted in Shaping UBC’s Next Century as saying “This is our time to inspire.” In this matter UBC has been anything but inspiring, anything but just.
- Alan Richardson, Professor, Philosophy
- Nassif Ghoussoub, Professor, Mathematics
- Charles Menzies, Professor, Anthropology
Colleagues are invited to comment below (with their departmental affiliations) if they wish to be included as signatories to this letter.
- Sima Godfrey, Associate Professor, French Studies
- Ayesha Chaudhry, Associate Professor,
- Judy Z. Segal, Professor, English
- Anthony Paré, Language and Literacy Education
- Jennifer Berdahl , University of British Columbia, Sauder School of Business
- John Stockie (UBC Alumnus), Simon Fraser University, Mathematics
- Carla Nappi , University of British Columbia, Department of History
- Don Baker, University of British Columbia, Department of Asian Studies
- Siobhan McElduff, University of British Columbia, CNERS
- Miranda Burgess, University of British Columbia, Department of English
- Michael Krisinger, University of British Columbia, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- Tal Jarus, University of British Columbia, Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Department, Faculty of Medicine
- Brian McIlroy, University of British Columbia, Department of Theatre and Film
- Adam Frank, University of British Columbia, Department of English Language and Literatures
- Sheryl Adam, University of British Columbia, Koerner Library
- Stephen Guy-Bray, University of British Columbia, Department of English
- Sebastian Prange, University of British Columbia, Department of History
- Juliet O’Brien, University of British Columbia, Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies
- Alfred Hermida, University of British Columbia, School of Journalism
- Stephanie van Willigenburg, University of British Columbia, Mathematics
- S Dollinger, University of British Columbia, Department of English Language and Literatures
- Miguel Mota, University of British Columbia, Department of English Language and Literatures
- Maureen Ryan, University of British Columbia, Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory
- T’ai Smith, University of British Columbia, Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory
- Bruce Rusk, University of British Columbia, Department of Asian Studies
- Thibault Mayor, University of British Columbia, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories
- Elyse Yeager, University of British Columbia, Mathematics
- Hotze Rullmann, University of British Columbia, Department of Linguistics
- ND Ruse, University of British Columbia, Dentistry
- Patricia Badir, University of British Columbia, Department of English
- Tai-Peng Tsai, University of British Columbia, Mathematics
- Carolyn Gotay, University of British Columbia, School of Population and Public Health
- Alan Mackworth, University of British Columbia, Department of Computer Science
- Joshua S. Mostow, University of British Columbia, Department of Asian Studies
- Sam Rocha, University of British Columbia, Department of Educational Studies
- Ross King, University of British Columbia, Department of Asian Studies
- Joseph Stemberger, University of British Columbia, Department of Linguistics
- Christian Schoof, University of British Columbia, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
- Michael Zeitlin, University of British Columbia, Department of English Language and Literatures
- Ignacio Adriasola, University of British Columbia, Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory
- Judith Paltin, University of British Columbia, Department of English
- Kellogg Booth, University of British Columbia, Department of Comupter Science
- Thomas Kemple, University of British Columbia, Department of Sociology
- Alla Sheffer, University of British Columbia, Computer Science
- Richard Froese, University of British Columbia, Mathematics
- Gordon Slade, University of British Columbia, Department of Mathematics
- Sunera Thobani, University of British Columbia, Department of Asian Studies & Social Justice Institute
- Joy Dixon, University of British Columbia, Department of History
- Nathan Hesselink, University of British Columbia, UBC School of Music
- David Kirkpatrick, University of British Columbia, Computer Science
- E. Wayne Ross, University of British Columbia, Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy
- Kurt Huebner, University of British Columbia, Institute for European Studies
- Andrew Scales, University of British Columbia, English Language Institute
- Mary Doyle-Waters, UBC
- Anthony Peirce, Professor, Mathematics, UBC
- Tina Loo, Department of History, UBC
- Jessica Wang, Department of History, UBC.
- Andrew Rechnitzer, Professor, Mathematics, UBC
- Michael Tenzer, Professor of Music
- Suzana K. Straus, University of British Columbia, Professor of Chemistry
- Susanna Braund, CNERS, UBC
- Bill Winder, French, Hispanic and Italian Studies, UBC
- Stephen Petrina, Professor, Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, UBC
- John Roosa, Department of History, UBC
- Bruno D. Zumbo, Professor & Distinguished University Scholar, Department of ECPS, UBC
- Stefan Taubert, Medical Genetics, UBC
- Anne Gorsuch, Professor, Dept of History, UBC
- Gunnar Ólafur Hansson, Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics, UBC
- Jennifer Love, Professor, Chemistry, UBC
- Sven Bachmann, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
- Alexei Kojevnikov, Associate Professor, Department of History, UBC
- Cristina Conati, Professor, Department of Computer Science, UBC
- Scott Anderson, Associate Professor, UBC Department of Philosophy
- Mark Mac Lean, Department of Mathematics, UBC
- Rik Blok, Lecturer, Integrated Sciences, UBC
- Lisa Matthewson, Professor, Department of Linguistics, UBC
- Jude Walker, Assistant Professor, Educational Studies, UBC
- Ed Perkins, Department of Mathematics, UBC
- Katherine Bowers, CENES, UBC
- Michelle Stack, Associate Professor Department of Educational Studies, UBC
- Molly Babel, Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics, UBC
- Douglas Pulleyblank, Professor, Department of Linguistics, UBC
- Young-Heon Kim, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics.
- Malabika Pramanik, Professor, Department of Mathematics.
- David Silver, W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics
- Marina Roy, Associate Professor, Department of Art History, Visual Art, and Theory
- Kalle Karu, Professor, Department of Mathematics
- Richard Anstee, Professor, Department of Mathematics.
- Christopher Mole, Department of Philosophy
- Nancy Frelick, Associate Professor, Department of French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies
- Serge Guilbaut Professor Emeritus AHVA
- Jim Colliander, Professor, Department of Mathematics.
- Vin Nardizzi, Associate Professor, Department of English Language and Literatures
- Arlene Sindelar, Department of History
- Paige Raibmon, Professor, Dept of History, UBC
- Eric Cytrynbaum, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics.
- Mona Gleason, Professor, Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Education
- Pierre Kennepohl, Department of Chemistry
- Stephen Gustafson, Professor, UBC Mathematics
- Margery Fee, Professor Emerita, English
- Bob Woodham, Professor Emeritus, UBC Department of Computer Science
- Steven Vincent, Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry
- Daniela Boccassini, Professor, FHIS
- Daniel Heath Justice, First Nations and Indigenous Studies/English, UBC
- Peter Wylie, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Philosophy and Political Science, UBC Okanagan Campus
Piece of Mind 
Please add my name to this letter. Loujain Al-Hathloul is the kind of alumna we should be celebrating and supporting. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to use our institutional platform to publicly stand with her and denounce her detainment. If UBC does not stand for human rights and its alumni around the world who are fighting for human rights, it is unclear what UBC does stand for.
While not a UBC colleague, I am a UBC alumnus (PhD, 1997), and I agree completely with the sentiments expressed in your letter. Please add my name.
John Stockie
Professor of Mathematics
Simon Fraser University
Thank you for doing this, and please add my name to the letter.
Carla Nappi
Department of History
UBC
Please add my name to this letter. Don Baker, Department of Asian Studies
Please add my name: Siobhán McElduff, Associate Professor, CNERS.
add me, please. Miranda Burgess, Department of English.
Please add my name to the letter.
Michael Krisinger
Instructor
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UBC
Please add my name, i strongly support your appeal to have UBC publicly demand to know the whereabouts of Loujain Al-Hathloul.
Tal Jarus,
Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Department, Faculty of Medicine
UBC
Please add my name. Presumably UBC is recruiting students in Saudi Arabia and it seems to me important to establish clearly the values regarding human rights that we (the university) stand for.
Especially since one of our graduates is incarcerated for “daring” to express herself freely.
Brian McIlroy
Professor of Film Studies
Department of Theatre and Film
UBC
Please add my name as signatory.
Adam Frank
Professor, Department of English Language and Literatures
The University of British Columbia
Please add my name. Sheryl Adam, Koerner Library
Please add my name to this important letter. Stephen Guy-Bray, Department of English
Please add my name to this: Siobhán McElduff, CNERS.
Please add my name to this petition:
Sebastian Prange, Department of History
Please add my name: students and faculty—including alumni and emeriti—ARE the university; one community and entity across space and time. Alumni relations are more than the soliciting of donations. Our identity as a university and our duty of care to our members extend beyond compliance and brand protection. Signed in the solidarity of universitas, university values, and human values.
Juliet O’Brien
Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies
UBC
Please add my name as a signatory:
Alfred Hermida
Associate professor and director, School of Journalism
UBC
Please add my name. Stephanie van Willigenburg, Professor, Mathematics, UBC.
Please add my name to this letter. I think you make the point very well that human rights while on campus only does not work. To be credible, we need to support our alumni when they advocate for the principles we teach and hopefully consistently model on campus.
Thank you for writing this letter. Please add my name.
Miguel Mota
Associate Professor
Department of English Language and Literatures
UBC
As a degree holder from UBC and a faculty member, please add my name to this letter in support of Ms Al-Hathloul. Maureen Ryan, Art History, Visual Art and Theory.
Please add my name to this important letter:
T’ai Smith, Associate Professor, Art History, Visual Art and Theory
Please add me
Bruce Rusk
Associate Professor
Asian Studies, UBC
Thanks for writing this letter. Please add my name
Thibault Mayor
Associate Professor
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biiology
Michael Smith Laboratories
Please add my name:
Elyse Yeager
UBC Mathematics
Please add my name to the letter as well. Thanks!
Hotze Rullmann, Associate Professor, Linguistics
Please add my name as a signatory to this letter.
Thank you for writing this letter. Please add my name. Patricia Badir, Professor of English.
Please add my name. Tai-Peng Tsai, Professor, Mathematics, UBC.
At the recent UBC convocations, there was considerable emphasis on how the new graduates become part of the UBC family. They were urged to visit the alumni centre and become active alums – including, I’m sure, contributing to UBC materially over the coming years. If, indeed, becoming an alum is about joining a family, not writing cheques to UBC, then the family needs to take care of its own. Supporting Ms Al-Hathloul should be a family obligation.
Carolyn Gotay
Professor and Interim Co-Director
School of Population and Public Health
Please add my name as a signatory:
Alan Mackworth
Professor, Computer Science
Please add my name
Joshua S. Mostow, FRSC, Dept. of Asian Studies
Please add my name:
Sam Rocha
Assistant Professor, Educational Studies
Please add my name: Ross King, Department of Asian Studies
Please add my name:
Joseph Stemberger, Department of Linguistics
Please add my name: Christian Schoof, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
Earlier today I e-mailed the following message to president Ono and Dean of Arts Averill,
Dear president Ono and dean Averill,
As a UBC faculty member I am very impressed by the courage of one of our Faculty of Arts alumni, Loujain Al-Hathloul, who has been jailed in Saudi Arabia for her activism for women’s rights, as reported today on the CBC website: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/incredibly-fierce-ubc-graduate-among-activists-detained-in-saudi-arabia-1.4681151
However, I am also dismayed by the refusal of a UBC spokesperson to comment on her situation, who is reported as saying that “the university has over 300,000 alumni and that it would be ‘inappropriate’ to comment on actions unrelated to their time at UBC”. This is in stark contrast with the fact that UBC continuously, and quite rightly, celebrates the achievements of its alumni and uses them in advertising and public relations campaigns. You yourself spoke very eloquently at last Friday’s graduation ceremony about the meaning of UBC’s motto Tuum Est (‘It’s up to you’), and about how UBC alumni should make a difference in the world. Ms. Al-Hathloul is doing exactly that, by standing up for the values that are at the heart of our university. I urge you very strongly to speak out publicly in support of Ms. Al-Hathloul, and to make sure that UBC provides her with assistance and support in any way it can.
Sincerely,
Hotze Rullmann
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Advisor
Department of Linguistics
UBC
“inappropriate”: I can’t believe I read that. Please add my name: Michael Zeitlin, Department of English Language and Literatures
Please add my name to this letter in support of Ms Al-Hathloul. Ignacio Adriasola, Assistant Professor, Art History, Visual Art and Theory.
Please add my name as signatory. We cannot call for engagement and say we want to foster a just society without acknowledging egregious violations of our principles in the world, and certainly we would include those that threaten harm to a member of our Convocation.
Judith Paltin, Assistant Professor, Department of English
Please add my name to the letter.
If institutions such as UBC do nothing to hold accountable governments that violate the human rights of our former students as those students endeavor to carry into the world the ideals they developed as part of their educational experience, who will hold those governments accountable? Surely the first step is to discern the facts of the matter. If these are not forthcoming on their own, it falls upon UBC and others to bring international attention to the situation because we are in a unique position to do so.
Kellogg S. Booth
Professor Emeritus
Department of Computer Science
UBC
Please add me as a signatory. UBC is and should be publicly proud to advance the cause of human rights. Thomas Kemple, Sociology
As one of Loujain’s former teachers, I would urge UBC to stand up for the rights and freedoms of such a remarkable young women. If it does not it will indeed be remiss in its fundamental duties to its alumni.
Alla Sheffer
Professor, Computer Science
Please add my name to this letter.
Richard Froese, Professor,
Mathematics, UBC
I wish to sign the letter.
Gordon Slade
Professor, Department of Mathematics
Please add my name. Sunera Thobani, Department of Asian Studies & Social Justice Institute
I am proud to have taught Loujain Al-Hathloul and would be more than glad to see the UBC community take action in her support. Joy Dixon, Department of History.
Please add my name to this list. Nathan Hesselink, Professor, UBC School of Music
The quoted spokesperson does not speak for me. Please add my name to the letter.
David Kirkpatrick,
Professor Emeritus,
Computer Science, UBC
Thank you for this very well written letter. I support it wholeheartedly. Please add my name to the letter.
Anita Hubley, Professor
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, UBC
Not the first time Loujain has been detained for her human rights work. Please add my na Neto the list
University of British Columbia
English Language Institute
Please add my name.
Please stand by our courageous alumna.
Please add my name to the letter and thank you for initiating this.
Tina Loo, Department of History
Please add my name to the letter: Jessica Wang, Department of History, UBC.
Please add my name to this letter.
Andrew Rechnitzer, Professor,
Mathematics, UBC
Please add my name to this worthy letter and the cause it proclaims,
Michael Tenzer, Professor of Music
Please add my name as well. Kathleen Currie Hall, Department of Linguistics
Please add my name: Suzana K. Straus, University of British Columbia, Professor of Chemistry
Thank you for this – please add my name: Susanna Braund, CNERS.
Thank you. Please add my name: Susanna Braund, CNERS
Please add my name to your letter.
UBC, though seemingly proud to be an international university, refuses the responsibilities of an international institution. Does TUUM EST really mean “You are own your own”? It would seem so for this alumna.
Bill Winder
French, Hispanic and Italian Studies
UBC
Yes, with unwavering support.
Stephen Petrina, Professor
Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy
Please add my name.
John Roosa
Department of History
Thank you for doing this, and please add my name to this important letter.
Bruno D. Zumbo,
Professor & Distinguished University Scholar,
Department of ECPS,
UBC
Please add me, Stefan Taubert, Medical Genetics
Please add my name to this letter.
Anne Gorsuch
Professor
Dept of History
Please add me as signatory:
Gunnar Ólafur Hansson, Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics, UBC
Please add my name.
Jennifer Love
Professor
Chemistry
I wish to sign the letter.
Sven Bachmann, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
Please add my signature:
Alexei Kojevnikov
Associate Professor
Department of History
Please add my name: Scott Anderson, Associate Professor, UBC Department of Philosophy
Please add my name: Mark Mac Lean, Department of Mathematics.
Please add my name: Rik Blok, Lecturer, Integrated Sciences, UBC
Please add my name:
Lisa Matthewson, Professor, Department of Linguistics
Thanks Nassif, Allan, and Charles for your leadership here. UBC has a chance to act and intervene, and to show real leadership in standing up for human rights and dignity Add my name:
Jude Walker, Assistant Professor, Educational Studies
Thank you for your leadership on this. Please add my name.
Michelle Stack, Associate Professor Department of Educational Studies
Please add my name:
Molly Babel, Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics
Please add my my name:
Douglas Pulleyblank, Professor, Department of Linguistics
Please do sign the letter on my behalf.
Ed Perkins, Professor, Dept. of Mathematics
Please add my name to this letter:
Vin Nardizzi, Associate Professor, Department of English Language and Literatures
UBC needs to be a leader. Please add me name to this letter.
Please add my name to the list of supporters of Loujain Al-Hathloul.
J. Colliander, Professor, Department of Mathematics.
Please add my name to the list of supporters of Loujain Al-Hathloul, as well
Serge Guilbaut Professor Emeritus AHVA
What is this: your comment is awaiting moderation? Where does this come from?
Please add my name. Please also consider supporting the Amnesty International campaign to free Loujain Al-Hathloul and other women who have been wrongfully accused, detained, and smeared as ‘traitors’ by Saudi media: https://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1770&ea.campaign.id=103929&utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=whrd_SaudiArabia&utm_content=WHRD+Saudi+Arabia&ea.url.id=1385366
Nancy Frelick, Associate Professor, Department of French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies
I’d also like to be added to this list.
Christopher Mole, Department of Philosophy
Please add my name Richard Anstee, Professor, Department of Mathematics.
UBC can add to its reputation by speaking on behalf of Loujain Al-Hathloul.
Please add my name to the latter.
Marina Roy, Associate Professor, Department of Art History, Visual Art, and Theory
Please add my name to this letter.
David Silver, W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics
Please add my name in the letter of support for Ms. Al-Hathloul.
Malabika Pramanik, Professor, Department of Mathematics.
Please add my name to support the letter.
Young-Heon Kim, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics.
Please add my name to this letter of support.
Arlene Sindelar, Department of History
Please add my name: Paige Raibmon, Professor, Dept of History, UBC.
With thanks for your initiative on this.
Please add my name to the letter. Eric Cytrynbaum, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics.
Please add my name to this letter and thank you for doing this.
Mona Gleason, Professor, Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Education
Please add my name to the letter of support for Ms. Al-Hathloul.
Steven Vincent, Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry
Please add my name as a signatory.
Bob Woodham,
Professor Emeritus, UBC Department of Computer Science
Please add my name to this letter. Margery Fee, Professor Emerita, English
Reblogged this on Commentaria.
Please add my name — thanks.
Stephen Gustafson
Professor, UBC Mathematics
Just back from a field trip, apologies for the lateness. Please add my name
Daniela Boccassini
Professor, FHIS
Please add my name as well: Daniel Heath Justice, First Nations and Indigenous Studies/English, UBC
Please add my name. Peter Wylie, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Philosophy and Political Science, UBC Okanagan Campus