Academic Disapprobation : Calling it Like It Is
"It's symbolic. To me it's a mark of great distinction. I was very proud to get the honorary degree. The fact I'm willing to give it back to signify my discomfort with the university indicates how much my discomfort is.""The participation of many faculty members in the encampment in defiance of university policy coupled with the lack of consequences has been, in my view, shameful. I am profoundly disappointed in my university.""I no longer wish to have the distinction of holding a University of Toronto honorary degree.""I do not take this action lightly since I know that since the first honorary degree was granted by the University of Toronto in 1950, an honorary degree granted by it has never been returned."Dr. Arnold Aberman, former dean of Medicine, University of Toronto
Photo by Chris Roussakis /QMI Agency |
Dr. Arnold Aberman, professor emeritus, former dean, faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
In
protest against the University of Toronto's handling of the anti-Israel
protest encampment, the former medical school dean of the U. of T. took
the unprecedented path of returning his honorary degree. His "profound
disappointment" that the university administration issued no clear
statement that "what's going on is unacceptable", led him to take that
determined moral decision.
The
enforced exclusion of "Zionists" from the encampment set up on the
school's central lawn was an obvious term meant to identify "Jews", and
he pointed to that in particular. "You saw the signs, anti-Zionist signs, denying entry. There's no right to stop people."
It
was "too late" after the university obtained a legal injunction against
the protest several weeks into the occupation when the court-ordered
deadline was imminent. "It's never too late to do the right thing. I think they should have done it earlier."
Which led to his decision to return his honorary Doctor of Laws, in
his possession since 2015, in recognition of outstanding service to the
university.
Serving
as dean of the University of Toronto's faculty of medicine, as well as
promoting relations with health-care institutions in the administration,
he was, as well, a key creator of the Northern Ontario School of
Medicine University in Sudbury, Ontario. According to his Order of
Canada citation, Dr. Aberman "contributed to the advancement of medicine for more than 30 years."
He faulted the university in his letter returning the honour, to University of Toronto President Meric Gertler for its "failure of the school to protect its Jewish and non-Jewish students".
The final straw arrived for Professor Aberman when he saw a recently
published online list of students and faculty identified at the
encampment protest by an activist group. "I consider them antisemites", he stated.
Dr. Arnold Aberman, Convocation, 2015 Honourary U.of T. Degree U.of T |
Labels: Anti-Israel Encampment, Dr. Arnold Aberman, Palestinian Hate Groups, Returning Honourary Degree, University of Toronto
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