Letter to NCKU Dean of Student Affairs

11/6/2003 6:52 PM
Subject: Concerning the student who has still not been punished for
misconduct at our universityTo: Huei-chen Ko
CC: moe , eyemail@eyemail.gio.gov.tw,
peu03@mail.gio.gov.tw, mail@mail.moe.gov.tw,
Control Yuan

Professor Ko Huei-chen
Dean of Student Affairs

cc: Ministry of Education, Department of Higher Education, Office of
the Premier, Minister of Education, Control Yuan, Taiwan Commission on
Human Rights

Dear Dean Ko,

We seem to have a problem communicating with one another. I have
asked you repeatedly to call a student involved in misconduct into your
office for a supervised meeting with me. You have repeatedly delayed
doing so. In fact, you (and your then vice-dean) have delayed doing so
for more than two years.
Meanwhile, rather irresponsibly, you have tried every tactic of
delay. Most recently, you claimed to have set up an appointment between
me and this student only to tell me, after I arrive at the meeting, that
the student decided not to come. Do you think this is responsible
behavior on your part?
First, what student has the right to tell a dean she doesn't want
to come to a meeting? Since when do students dictate policy at our
university? If a student can decide policy, then the student should be
appointed dean.
Second, you didn't even have the courtesy to inform me of this
state of affairs beforehand, thus saving me time from going to the
meeting. This is totally irresponsible behavior on your part. But it
reflects the scorn that officials at our university feel towards regular
faculty, as if were humble petitioners, instead of colleagues to whom
they are responsible.
Let me make this point clear yet again: A professor has the right
to request a supervised meeting with a student in a dean's office.
Nothing will deny me this right. Furthermore, you have the
responsibility, as Dean of Student Affairs, to respond to all faculty
requests. This is your job. In addition, you must monitor the conduct
of students at this university and respond to faculty requests in the
pursuit of such matters. These are the routine responsibilities of your
office. If you disagree with this, then it is well this case were
exposed so that the public can make up its own mind about these
matters. After all, it's their tax money that is paying our salaries.
Finally, your failure to discipline this student is going to
involve our university in a national scandal. Indeed, in the end, your
refusal to invite this student into your office is going to cause more
problems for her than resolving this matter internally. But this is
your choice. One thing is certain: I am committed to receiving an
official apology for this student's misconduct.
Once again I advise you to schedule a meeting with this student,
while the case has not been exposed. During this meeting, which must be
very soon (within days), the student must be prepared to admit she lied
and apologize for doing so. I will settle for nothing less.

Sincerely,

Professor Richard de Canio
Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
National Cheng Kung University
Tainan, Taiwan
(06) 237 8626