UNIVERSITY VIOLENCE, ONCE AGAIN.
Hundreds of pages were written, numerous studies were compiled but the problem remains unsolved. Violence is not new to our universities: the causes differed and the magnitude changed. In the 80’s of last century we observed the political type of violence in Yarmouk, in the 90’s it was sectarian in the University ofJordan. Since then a lot of water passed under the bridge. In the major study financed by the Ministry of Higher Education in 2010 and in the similar study commissioned by the Social and Economic Council in the same year. It was evident that one cannot separate the violence in the universities from that in the society. Both studies alluded to a general mood of unease, due to social,political and economic reasons that lead to an increase in the incidence of these riots. One can feel that especially in the last two years.
Both studies listed issues that contributed in a major way to the frequency of these incidences. Of these; outdated curricula and teaching methods with absence of faculty mentoring to students and lack of purpose among many of the students ranked high. The high emotions accompanying students’ elections (is nothing but a reflection of what happens in parliamentary elections at large), and the culture of refusal to accept defeat in a democratic process, were among the reasons for the seasonal nature of many of major riots which plagues some universities. The lack of proper selection of newly appointed staff and the low quality of preparation of most staff in the fundamentals of teaching and mentoring, kept a big gulf between staff and students.
Both studies went in length to talk about the quality of students admitted to universities, and that many were not selected properly. Those students formed a big portion of those students involved in riots.
The Universities’ administrations were at fault too for being unwilling to apply the proper regulation guiding student behavior inside universities. They succumbed to pressure from society and even officials to forgo punishment issued by university.
The gradual change of universities from melting pots for all components of society,to ones catering for students from local geographical regions, and the tendency (due to societal pressure) to appoint staff from the same area of the university changed universities to institutions for local students and staff,bringing with them all the differences of the local society and inhabitants,and allowing any feuds to spell into the university.
The general public mood and the economic hardships felt by many lead to ugly behavior that culminated in destruction of public property including that of the universities. One cannot rule out that some of these quarrels were started on purpose to give the impression of university administrative inability, or to indicate societal instability.
All studies, as do all governments committees established to look into the phenomena agree that proper selection of students and staff, reform of university administration, introduction of new curricula including those dealing with debate and democracy will form the back bone of any solution.Students must engage in community work, abide by and respect university regulations. When disciplinary measures are decided against transgressors, they should be carried out without interference from anybody. Students dismissed from a university for being part of violence should not be allowed to enroll in any university.
Hundreds of pages were written, numerous studies were compiled but the problem remains unsolved. Violence is not new to our universities: the causes differed and the magnitude changed. In the 80’s of last century we observed the political type of violence in Yarmouk, in the 90’s it was sectarian in the University ofJordan. Since then a lot of water passed under the bridge. In the major study financed by the Ministry of Higher Education in 2010 and in the similar study commissioned by the Social and Economic Council in the same year. It was evident that one cannot separate the violence in the universities from that in the society. Both studies alluded to a general mood of unease, due to social,political and economic reasons that lead to an increase in the incidence of these riots. One can feel that especially in the last two years.
Both studies listed issues that contributed in a major way to the frequency of these incidences. Of these; outdated curricula and teaching methods with absence of faculty mentoring to students and lack of purpose among many of the students ranked high. The high emotions accompanying students’ elections (is nothing but a reflection of what happens in parliamentary elections at large), and the culture of refusal to accept defeat in a democratic process, were among the reasons for the seasonal nature of many of major riots which plagues some universities. The lack of proper selection of newly appointed staff and the low quality of preparation of most staff in the fundamentals of teaching and mentoring, kept a big gulf between staff and students.
Both studies went in length to talk about the quality of students admitted to universities, and that many were not selected properly. Those students formed a big portion of those students involved in riots.
The Universities’ administrations were at fault too for being unwilling to apply the proper regulation guiding student behavior inside universities. They succumbed to pressure from society and even officials to forgo punishment issued by university.
The gradual change of universities from melting pots for all components of society,to ones catering for students from local geographical regions, and the tendency (due to societal pressure) to appoint staff from the same area of the university changed universities to institutions for local students and staff,bringing with them all the differences of the local society and inhabitants,and allowing any feuds to spell into the university.
The general public mood and the economic hardships felt by many lead to ugly behavior that culminated in destruction of public property including that of the universities. One cannot rule out that some of these quarrels were started on purpose to give the impression of university administrative inability, or to indicate societal instability.
All studies, as do all governments committees established to look into the phenomena agree that proper selection of students and staff, reform of university administration, introduction of new curricula including those dealing with debate and democracy will form the back bone of any solution.Students must engage in community work, abide by and respect university regulations. When disciplinary measures are decided against transgressors, they should be carried out without interference from anybody. Students dismissed from a university for being part of violence should not be allowed to enroll in any university.
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