Boğaziçi University | Özcan Vardar’s course not approved by appointed administration

* Photo: Can Candan

Click to read the article in Turkish

The appointed administration of Boğaziçi University keeps on not approving courses with arbitrary decisions.

Most recently, the university administration has not approved the "Grammar Of Film Language: Film Editing" course offered by award-winning film editor Özcan Vardar, a part-time lecturer since 2013, as part of the Western Languages and Literatures' Film Studies Certificate Program.

With a note signed by vice rector Fazıl Önder Sönmez, the decision has been notified to the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The reason for the decision has been explained as "Vardar's lack of formal education in the field where he was teaching classes."

Over the past few months, the courses offered by Feyzi Erçin and Seda Binbaşgil have been closed for the same reason. The appointed university administration also dismissed documentary filmmaker Can Candan, an academic at the university since 2007.

While Özcan Vardar was still teaching classes, appointed rector Naci İnci also caused the academic staff ID card of Vardar to be cancelled. He tried to enter the campus on April 9, 2021, but was not allowed to. He has been entering the university as a "guest" since then.

* Özcan Vardar 'on the stage' on the 100th day of the resistance. Credit: Can Candan

'A process of undermining the program'

Prof. Aslı Tekinay, the Head of the Department of Western Languages and Literatures, has commented on the recent situation:

"The process of undermining the Culture and Arts Program, which started with Feyzi Erçin and continued with Can Candan, Seda Binbaşgil and Özcan Vardar, is unfortunately in conformity with the current style of administration at our university.

Noting that the administration of Boğaziçi University does not show respect for the academic experience and free will of their department and it turns a deaf ear to the information provided, Prof. Tekinay has expressed her hopes that this mistake will be corrected:

"Over and over again, we tried to explain the characteristics of the Fine Arts program, the meaninglessness of seeking a 'formal education' in lecturers and the importance of these courses.

"We explained how every lecturer of ours starts teaching classes after undergoing what kind of a process and we formed a departmental opinion about every single part-time Fine Arts lecturer of ours. We will keep on explaining and writing without getting tired of it."

10 courses not offered anymore

With the dismissal of Can Candan and the cancellation of Feyzi Erçin and Özcan Vardar's courses, eight courses offered by the department as part of its "Film Studies" Certificate Program have been closed. Taken together with Seda Binbaşgil's closed "History of Jazz" class, 10 classes offered by the Department of Western Languages and Literatures as elective courses for all departments have been closed now. (KÖ/SD)