3 academics appointed from outside Boğaziçi University to replace dismissed deans

* Photo: Boğaziçi academics

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Three deans were appointed from outside Boğaziçi University on Saturday (March 5) to replace the three elected deans removed from office.

In mid-January, Prof. Özlem Berk Albachten, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Prof. Metin Ercan, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, and Prof. Yasemin Bayyurt, the Dean of the Faculty of Education, were removed from office.

Amid ongoing protests against the appointed rectors since early January 2021, acting deans were first appointed in their place.

Releasing a statement about the recent appointments, the academics of Boğaziçi have announced that they were informed about the appointment of new deans from outside Boğaziçi via the electronic document management system while the university informed the public on Twitter.

'It is done for caderization'

The statement of the academics has underlined that "no faculty member of Boğaziçi University has accepted the duty; therefore, deans have been appointed to three faculties from outside the university."

The academics have said, "We would like to tell our three colleagues appointed as deans: Legal action has been taken about our three elected deans being removed from office on baseless grounds and we firmly believe that they will be reinstated at the end of judicial proceedings."

The statement has noted that "the simultaneous investigations launched by the appointed rectorate against the elected deans and the simultaneous decisions of the appointed rectorate and the Council of Higher Education to dismiss all three deans by citing these investigations and without waiting for the finalization of the process are against the law and aim caderization".

Recalling that they filed lawsuits against these actions and requested the stay of their execution and annulment, the academics have stated that "in a similar vein, the appointment of deans acting as principal from outside the university is equally unlawful and aimed at caderization."

"We don't accept these appointments and we don't give up on our ideal of free, autonomous and democratic university," the academics have said, reiterating their request for the reinstatement of dismissed elected deans Prof. Yasemin Bayyurt, Prof. Özlem Berk Albachten and Prof. Metin Ercan. (RT/SD)