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I'm so disgusted by my college's decision to deny a posthumous degree to a disabled student who died in their last term because the board feels it devalues the degree.
HARVARD gives fucking posthumous degrees. I think they're more valuable than this fucking hippy school.
HARVARD gives fucking posthumous degrees. I think they're more valuable than this fucking hippy school.
The value here is the question of disabled lives.
To academia, even the sectors that claim to be progressive (perhaps especially those), disabled lives have no value, except as part of the diversity and inclusion photoshoots.
After that, we can fuck off. #AcademiaIsAbleist
To academia, even the sectors that claim to be progressive (perhaps especially those), disabled lives have no value, except as part of the diversity and inclusion photoshoots.
After that, we can fuck off. #AcademiaIsAbleist
I'm fucking shaking with anger. I wasn't close with the deceased, but we were classmates in the MFA. Their work and their life had value. They were in their final semester.
I'm ready to go to the mat for this. And nobody has seen me angry yet.
I'm ready to go to the mat for this. And nobody has seen me angry yet.
I was treated like garbage at my last school. At this one, I can't get into 90% of the buildings, and the 10% I can get into, I can't get into 50% of the rooms.
They had to remodel the dorms to make the doors wheelchair accessible. In 2018.
They had to remodel the dorms to make the doors wheelchair accessible. In 2018.
I'm not letting this disabled artist's work and life be swept over because the Board of Trustees doesn't give posthumous degrees ... except for the ones they awarded in 2018 and 2012.
But those were for donors, not students.
There's the "value." #AcademiaIsAbleist
But those were for donors, not students.
There's the "value." #AcademiaIsAbleist
I swear to God, I will fight this tooth and nail. This student deserved that degree. They died finishing the degree. Their family deserves that fucking piece of paper. It costs the college nothing.
Instead, we're all supposed to chip in to plant some flowers in her memory.
Instead, we're all supposed to chip in to plant some flowers in her memory.
Either I'm going to get kicked out of this institution, or I'm going to get hired as the diversity and retention officer.
Or I'll fuck off and get a medieval studies degree obsessing over the cult of the saints in some weird part of the Early Middle Ages.
Or I'll fuck off and get a medieval studies degree obsessing over the cult of the saints in some weird part of the Early Middle Ages.
Expect a lot of vague rage about this in the next few weeks as the term wraps up. Graduation isn't until July. The administration has two months to remove their heads from their lily-white asses and do the right thing, or I will let the Chronicle of Higher Ed hear about it.
Hell, I'll write the goddamn letter. I've been reading the Chronicle since I was in undergrad and I wanted to understand the world I'd come into.
"Progressive College Refuses To Acknowledge Disabled Student's Death During Covid Pandemic" is not a headline this college wants.
"Progressive College Refuses To Acknowledge Disabled Student's Death During Covid Pandemic" is not a headline this college wants.
I don't want to do it. I want this place to do the goddamn right thing.
But if I have to shame them on an international stage to make it happen, so help me God, I will do it. I have seen so much dirty laundry. I can destroy the whole place.
But if I have to shame them on an international stage to make it happen, so help me God, I will do it. I have seen so much dirty laundry. I can destroy the whole place.
FOR FUCK'S SAKE.
MFA programme director says that the programme only wants to plant a tree for this student since the board's policy is so absolute.
I want to send her the news articles of the 3 posthumous degrees the college has awarded in the past 10 years.
MFA programme director says that the programme only wants to plant a tree for this student since the board's policy is so absolute.
I want to send her the news articles of the 3 posthumous degrees the college has awarded in the past 10 years.
AND they want the students and faculty, who are paid like adjuncts, to contribute to the memorial tree.
IT IS A GODDAMN PANDEMIC. MOST STUDENTS ARE POOR. THE DAMN DOA CAN BUY A TREE AT LOWES TO PLANT.
This is beyond insulting. The student came for a degree. Not a fucking tree.
IT IS A GODDAMN PANDEMIC. MOST STUDENTS ARE POOR. THE DAMN DOA CAN BUY A TREE AT LOWES TO PLANT.
This is beyond insulting. The student came for a degree. Not a fucking tree.
They don't even want to show the student's work. Just a tree or some flowers. Because disabled people don't do work. We're just here for enrichment of abled students' experiences. Like a fucking tree.
I'm going to lose my shit or my hair. 50/50 chance.
I'm going to lose my shit or my hair. 50/50 chance.
