Student Faces Social Media Investigation

Özyeğin University’s Applied Sciences Academy launched a disciplinary proceeding against a student of the university due to his messages on social media. The disciplinary investigation log included tweet messages from an anonymous account closed to everyone expect the friends of Alican Boynak, a Gastronomy and Culinary Art.

Boynak’s “problematic” social media sharings are directly linked to University’s removal of the sentence “We confer ‘Le Cordon Bleu’ signed diploma on graduates” from their advertisements.

Previously, there had been a compromise between the university administration and students on the issue.

One of the tweet messages included the following: “Nobody cares for your diploma, they care what they can take from you” under a photograph of University Board of Overseers’ chairman took place in one of the sharings according to a website’s news.

“To discredit the institution”

Some of the highlight from the investigation file included: 

“The allegation of committing offenses by using oral or written statements on social media which discredit the institution of Özyeğin University and its staff.”

Boynak is accused by YÖK Öğrenci Disiplin Yönetmeliği’s (High Education Board Student Discipline Regulations) Law 6/ç-d: “Committing oral and written offenses, discrediting the High Education Institution’s personnels / Committing oral and written offenses and discrediting High Education Institution personnel.”

“Negotiated with department managers”

“Özyeğin University Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Undergraduate Program abolished the sentence “We confer Le Cordon Bleu signed Le Grand Diplome on graduates” from its website advertisement. Most of the students preferred Özyeğin due to this diploma.

“In our talks with the department managers, the information about conferring the diploma was rejected. The university president paid attention to us but he didn’t start proceeding. We carried the subject and VIDA’s statement to VIDA’s website and social media. As a result of our struggle, the president said Le Grand Diplome would be conferred,” Boynak previously told bianet.

Second investigation against the banner 

Besides his sharings on social media, another disciplinary proceeding has been launched against Alican Boynak: “Hanging banner without permission”.

“I hung the banner following the so-called tape recordings between PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his son Bilal Erdoğan were leaked. I informed the people in charge and hung a banner on the same place before. I hung these banners with notification,” Boynak told bianet.

We were unable to reach Özlem Çakmut, Commissioner of Disciplinary Proceeding For Students at Özyeğin University Applied Sciences Academy Secretaryship. (BK/BD/BM)