WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED.
To President Paula Wallace and Board Members,
07/10/2020
It has come to our attention that SCAD’s recent modification of terms, conditions and on-going eligibility requirements associated with student awards (including but not limited to SCAD scholarships and grants) has given rise to a major uproar within the SCAD community. Many students have reported stating that the agreement, more specifically the part of the contract that threatened one’s first amendment right, is not only unacceptable but also “fascist”. As per multiple requests, we, the members of Savannah CAD Independent Student Coalition (SCADISC) hereby request that SCAD addresses all our concerns and demands.
Within the newly added terms, students must agree to abstain from “personal conduct that may be detrimental to university morale.” The word morale is vague and could easily be misconstrued. Hence, when a student accepts their financial aid, they must agree to a term that has not been fully defined. What is considered “morale”? Students should not have to fear repaying thousands of dollars worth of financial aid, solely because their educational institution utilized a singular, obscure term of agreement that gives said institution an enormous amount of power over its students and their voices.
Only one line before this term, students must agree to “uphold the values of SCAD,” which again is ill-defined and seeks to favor the university’s ability to control any and every part of SCAD students’ behavior. Outside of the immense and unnecessary power it gives SCAD as an institution, it shows the hypocritical expectations SCAD has for its students. Assuming SCAD values honesty and free-thinking, how can SCAD ask students to sign away their first amendment right to free speech through a small and vague term added to the financial aid offer agreement, clearly intended to be overlooked. While this may be an institutional action SCAD may choose to take, it does not make it an ethical one. Especially considering that the only students who must agree to these terms are lower income students and those who receive scholarships. An ultimatum such this unfairly limits the actions of those students over those who are not similarly limited by finances. Unfair financial threats such as these are a prime example of dishonesty and manipulation.
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Regarding SCAD’s recent modification of terms and conditions for financial award packages, we, the members of SCADISC - a student organization that lobbies for the voice and rights of SCAD Students - demand SCAD to adhere to the following:
We demand that SCAD removes the newly created policy. The policy states, “...I shall not engage in any personal conduct that may be detrimental to university morale or operations…” The structure of this clause is vague to the reader and lacks the transparency needed to abide by it correctly. As students, we have the right to be critical of the institution we fund for our education. To revoke such authority, in the form of financial assistance specifically, is unjust.
We demand that SCAD creates a new policy - one that specifically removes Agreement No. 2. Accepting the current policy as is will in fact remove the student voice and put our education in danger. Due to the nature of the current policy - anything SCAD deems as “detrimental to university morale or operations,” will risk loss of much needed financial assistance as anything under the umbrella of critical could fall. This effectively risks students’ education.
Give proper notification to students who have already agreed to the new terms. Due to the quiet nature of the change in policy, the new terms - apropos with the recent criticisms of SCAD - deserve to be well fleshed out for clarity. Students of SCAD are critical of the institution for valid reasons and for there to be a new policy that risks their education - in place of SCAD listening to their voice - threatens their rights.
As stated, we request that SCAD addresses all our concerns and demands promptly. We, the members of SCADISC will continue to hold SCAD accountable and monitor the university’s future responses regarding this matter until changes are evident.
In solidarity,
SCADISC