Subject: Faculty Concern Regarding Withholding of Diplomas
May 9, 2025
Gabe Willis
Dean of Student Advocacy Office
901 Floyd Avenue, 1st Floor
Box 843017
Richmond, VA 23284
Kristie Filipchuk
Associate Director of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity
Division of Student Affairs
815 S. Cathedral Place, 2nd Floor
Box 843071
Richmond, VA 23284-2041
Dear Dean Willis and Associate Director Filipchuk,
We write with deep concern regarding the University's decision to notify at least three VCU students, just two days before graduation, that their degrees will not be conferred until a resolution on an arbitrary disciplinary action is reached. From what we understand, this disciplinary action is connected to an incident that occurred on April 29 in front of Cabell Library. We urge the administration to reconsider this course of action and to provide clear and public justification for such an extraordinary sanction.
To our knowledge, the students in question were engaged in peaceful, nondisruptive activity—sitting on the grass, working on homework, making art, talking with friends. We understand that university police escalated what was a pleasant informal gathering into an aggressive public confrontation in the center of campus, intervening based on a determination that the gathering constituted a “demonstration.” However, prior to the arrival of the police witnesses report no chanting, marching or other conduct typically associated with protest. We further understand that one student was arrested and others were dispersed after being informed that “Legal has determined this is a demonstration.” This statement raises important questions: Who makes such determinations, and on what criteria? What specific space-use policy or rule was violated?
While we recognize the importance of maintaining campus safety and order, we are concerned that disciplinary measures appear to have been applied based not on disruptive behavior, but on the perceived meaning or symbolism of this particular group of students, of what they may represent. As faculty members at VCU we are troubled by the precedent this sets for student expression and campus life.
To deny students their diplomas based on such vague and contested grounds risks undermining core values of fairness, transparency, and academic freedom. We respectfully request that the administration reconsider these punitive measures and provide a clear explanation for their basis.
Sincerely,
Rohan Kalyan, Associate Professor and Acting Director of the School of World Studies
Liz Canfield, Associate Professor, Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies
Frankie Mastrangelo, Associate Chair, Department of Sociology
Bradley Sinanan, Adjunct Instructor, VCUArts Department of Graphic Design
Jamie Cage, Associate Professor, School of Social Work
Faedah M. Totah, Associate Professor, School of World Studies
Kai Bosworth, Assistant Professor, School of World Studies
Winnie Chan, Associate Professor of English
Mark Wood, Associate Professor, School of World Studies
Eli Coston, Assistant Professor and Associate Chair, Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
Glenn Hurlbert, Professor, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
Lily Cox-Richard, Associate Professor, VCUarts Sculpture + Extended Media
Sonali Gulati, Professor, VCUarts Department of Photography & Film
Travis L. Williams, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology
Jesse Goldstein, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology
Rivka Swenson, Associate Professor, Department of English
Alex Keena, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
Kim Case, Professor, Department of Psychology
Kathleen Ingram, Associate Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Sociology
Michael Southam-Gerow, Professor, Department of Psychology
Wendy Kliewer, Professor, Department of Psychology
Caroline O. Cobb, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Ellen Carpenter, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Meredith Katz, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology
Karen Rader, Professor, Department of History
William Muth, Professor Emeritus, School of Education
Paul Rucker, Assistant Professor, VCUarts, Curator for Creative Collaboration
Samaneh Oladi, Associate Professor, School of World Studies
Mo Mathews, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Susan Bodnar-Deren, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology
Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Professor, Department of Theatre
Emilie Anne-Yvonne Luse, Head of Program Production, Institute for Contemporary Art
Melis Hafez, Associate Professor, History
Kristin Reed, Professor, Focused Inquiry
Andrew Chesnut, Professor, School of World Studies
Sarah E. Raskin, Associate Professor, Urban and Regional Studies and Planning and Convergence Labs - Health Equity
Sarah Jane Brubaker, Professor, Wilder School
Janus Chidester, Teaching Assistant, Department of Sociology
Craig Larson, Professor, MATH
Charlie Schmidt, Adjunct Professor, Political Science
Emily Csukardi, Adjunct Professor, English
Myles Kwitny, Evaluation Coordinator, Department of Psychology
Hanaa Safwat, Adjunct Professor, VCUarts.
Christine Cynn, Associate Professor, Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies
Nancy Phaup, Adjunct Professor, Anthropology
Cara Benedetto, Associate Professor, Painting and Printmaking
Kevin Gallagher, Assistant Professor, Cinema
Pamela Turner, Associate Professor, Department of Kinetic Imaging
Sheree Chen, Assistant Professor, Cinema
Prashanth Kamalakanthan, Assistant Professor, Cinema
Carson Parris, Resource Lab Staff, Art Foundations
Yusuf Ansari, Pre-Health Advisor, UAA
HH Hiaasen, Assistant Professor, Graphic Design Department
John Herman, Associate Professor, Department of History
Shawn O. Utsey, Professor of African American Studies
Victor Chen, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology
Caddie Alford, Associate Professor, Department of English
Robert Paris, Associate Professor, Department of Kinetic Imaging
Amber Pearson, former Assistant Professor, Department of Focused Inquiry
Christian Thompson, Admin Staff, Department of African American Studies
Laura Wilkinson, Assistant Professor, Department of English/English Language Program (Global Education)
Ethan Coston, Associate Professor, Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies
Jennifer Garvin-Sanchez, Affiliate Instructor, Religious Studies
Adam Ewing, Associate Professor, Department of African American Studies
Grace D. Gipson, Assistant Professor, Department of African American Studies
Beth Kreydatus, Professor, Department of Focused Inquiry
Courtney Sviatko, Instructor, Department of Focused Inquiry
Carly Hough, Office & Production Assistant, Cinema
Mimi Winick, Assistant Professor, School of World Studies
Michael Paarlberg, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
Ihsan Topaloglu, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
Brent Cody, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
Andrew Delatolla, Assistant Professor in Middle Eastern Studies, University of Leeds
Bikrum Gill, Assistant Professor, Political Science, Virginia Tech
Marco Aldi, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
Corinna Mullin, Adjunct Professor, City University of New York
Stuart Chen-Hayes, Professor, Counselor Education, CUNY Lehman College
Rani Satyam, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
Aby Sène, Associate Professor, Clemson University
Navid Farnia, Assistant Professor, African American Studies, Wayne State University
Caitlin Schroering, Assistant Professor, Global Studies, UNC Charlotte
Desiree Poets, Assistant Professor, Political Science, Virginia Tech
Sarah E Durand, Professor, Biology, LaGuardia-CUNY
Lowell Iporac, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Biology, Manhattan University
Olivia Landry, Chair of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies
Audra Mitchell, Professor and Canada Research Chair of Global Political Ecology, Wilfrid Laurier University
Irene Piazza, Teaching Assistant, Department of Graphic Design
Nicole Killian, Associate Professor, Department of Graphic Design
Egbert Vongmalaithong, Assistant Curator, Institute for Contemporary Art
Kiva Brazier, B.F.A 2023, Painting and Printmaking Alumni
Nancy Wein, community member, Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
Carol Snell-Feikema, Retired Spanish Faculty, Eastern Mennonite University
Michael Snell-Feikema, community member, Peace Praxis - Shenandoah Valley Antiwar Coalition
Patrick Miller, B.A. 2012, M.T. 2019
Jan Hatcher, Faculty, Religious Studies, School of World Studies, VCU
Diana Ganey, Land Back International Turtle Island Organizer/Founder, Community Member and Human Rights Activist.
Tariq Haddad, MD
Assistant Professor of Medical Education
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Christiane Riederer von Paar, VCU Alumni 1990, Community Member, Human Rights Activist and Legal observer with the National Lawyers Guild
Corey Martin, HR Administrator, School of Medicine and VCU Alumni 2012
Caleb Flood, Adjunct Professor, VCUarts
Sharri Plonski, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, Queen Mary University of London
Nivi Manchanda, Reader in International Politics, Queen Mary university of London
Lisa Tilley, Senior Lecturer, SOAS University of London
Adeeb Abed, Human Rights Activist, Community Organizer
Stephanie Hammerk (Merk), VCU Alumni 2007 and 2009, Human Rights Activist and Community member
Sam Rasoul, Member, Virginia House of Delegates
Timothy Seidel, Associate Professor, Eastern Mennonite University
Jack R. Leff, Ph.D. Alumni from Virginia Tech
Esther S. Merves, Ph.D.
Stephen A. Gudas, Associate Professor Emeritus, VCU School of Medicine, Dept. of Anatomy & Neurobiology
Mary Neznek
Instructor Emeritus
Catholic Univ of America
Institute of Teacher Training
Paul Noursi, Virginia Coalition for Human Rights.
Chloe Finley, Staff, School of World Studies
Mary Anne Doty, Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
Hannah Wesley, MPH, Virginia Coalition for Human Rights and Richmond resident
Randy Shoemaker, Graduate Research Assistant, College of William & Mary
Jim Best, MA, CCC-SLP
Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
Ajay Parasram, Associate Professor, Dalhousie University
Danielle DiBlasio, Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice and Equality
Nancy Jawish Rives
MA History, VCU, 1999
David M. Hindman, EdD, Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
Aline Batarseh, Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
Laura Middlebrooks
Michelle Saka El, Educator, Member Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
Jennifer Hitchcock, Professor of English, Reynolds Community College
Charles M. Turner, PhD, Executive Director
Virginia Muslim Civic League
Alex Hilert, Ph.D, Adjunct Professor
William & Mary
Taehee Whang, MFA, critic
Rhode Island School of Design
Shakil Khan, VCU 1995, MCV 1999. Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
Max Riederer von Paar
Pamela Nice
Rosemarie M. Esber, Ph.D., Independent Scholar, Virginia Coalition for Human Rights and Jewish Voice for Peace
Noah Simblist, Associate Professor, VCUarts Painting and Printmaking
Dana DuMont, VCU BFA Crafts 1987, Art Ed 1989
Elisabeth Waldron, MS, Democratic Socialists of America
Jonathan LLoyd, Roanoke, VA
Amanda Eisenhour, Alexandria for Palestine, Virginia Coalition for Human Rights, Jewish Voice for Peace
Maryann Germaine, Fairfax for Palestine, Virginia Coalition for Human Rights, former VCU parent
William J. Walls, Concerned Virginia resident and Retired Foreign Service Officer,
Katie Metres Akbar, Virginia taxpayer and member of the Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
Camille Rudney, VCU Alumnus, MSW Class of 2013
Sarah Rudney, VCU Alumnus, BFA Class of 2011
Tyler Newbold, VCU Alumnus, BFA Class of 2009
Caitlin Buro, VCU Alumnus, BA Class of 2011
Nancy Stern, Professor, The City College of New York, CUNY
Diana Altenhof, concerned current VCU student and Virginia resident
Alexandra Barao, VCU Alumnus, BFA Class of 2010
Sara Jamal, PharmD, Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
Charity Scott, Assistant Professor, L. Douglas Wilder School
Michael Akbar, Executive Career Coach
Nadja Gutowski
Jeffrey Coupe, Parent of VCU Alumnus, Educator
Meg Harvey, Postdoctoral Researcher, College of William & Mary, Anthropology
Christopher Walker, lifelong Richmonder
Thomas O’Brien, VCU Alumnus, BS Class of 2008
Melanie McCord, Teaching Assistant, College of William & Mary
Jennifer J. L. Timmons, Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
Rosen Eveleigh, assistant professor, VCU Graphic Design
Lauren Thorson, chair and associate professor, VCU Graphic Design
Heather K. Teague, Anthropologist
Kennedy Mehfoud, BS 2018, Psychology
Kathryn Morgan, BA 2010, VCU School of Religious Studies Alumnus
James Metz, MS Information Systems 1982, VCU School of Business
Aouicha Hilliard, Professor Emerita of French and International Studies, Randolph-Macon College
Heba Youssef
Senior Lecturer
University of Brighton
Tiamba M. Wilkerson, BS 2002, Psychology,/current VCU Sociology adjunct
Bridget Obeng, BFA 2019 VCU School of the Arts, MS 2026 VCU College of Health Professions
Anshu Sharma, Graduate Student, College of William & Mary
Ana Edwards, Assistant Professor, African American Studies
Chelsea A. Flowers, Assistant Professor, AFO, VCU Arts
Punit Gandhi, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
Phil Wilayto, Editor, The Virginia Defender
Clyde Ledbetter Jr., Professor of African American Studies
Birgit Poopuu, Associate Professor of International Relations, Tallinn University (Estonia)
Oghenevwoghaghan Obrimah, VCU, Current Undergraduate in Computer Science
Kelsey Cheshire, Assistant Professor, VCU
Renae DeLucia, PhD
Tara Stamm, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, VCU
Elizabeth Dooley, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of History
Aerin Raguso, VCU Alumnus, BS Class of 2021
Robin Allman, VCU, MSN, 2000
Mattie Kelly, VCU Alumnus, BFA Class kf2013
Marley Trimble, Current Undergraduate, Art Education
Joshua Webner, Richmond Resident and Former VCU Student
Vineeta Singh, Assistant Teaching Professor, University College
Cindy Hernández Castro, Doctoral Student, Department of Psychology
Cameron Clay, VCU Alumni, Richmond Resident
Fabiana Landivar Quintela, VCUarts Alumnus, BA Class of 2024
Michael Gifford, VCU School of Social Work, MSW Class of 2023
Hunter Kusterer, VCU Alumni, BA History, Class of 2018 & Richmond Resident
Michelle Ghee, VCUarts Alumni, BA Class of 2025
Ashley Hawkins, Studio Two Three, VCUarts alumnus, BFA Painting and Printmaking 2008, MPA Class of 2014
Kate Fowler, Studio Two Three, VCU Arts Alumnus, BFA Photography & Filmmaking, 2013
Nicola Tarasca, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
Dae Newman, Academic Affairs Coordinator, VCUarts, and VCU Alumnus (BA 2013 and M.Ed 2022)
Ellie Roberts, Office Manager, Mathematics & Applied Mathematics and
Jared W. Keeley, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Zachary G Goodell, Assistant Professor Department of Sociology
Grayson Gayvert, VCUarts Alumni, BA Class of 2025
Lou Gravely, current VCU student
Thomas Eissenberg, PhD. Professor, VCU Department of Psychology
Mark Meier, Assistant Professor, Focused Inquiry, VCU
Rachel Lawrence, VCU Alumus MT, 1995
Patrick Ressler
Catherine Leary, Academic Advisor, College of Humanities and Sciences
Emma Clark, VCU alum
Eric Mai, VCU Wilder School of Government & Public Affairs Alumnus
Jackson Grigsby, Office & Data Admin VCEE, VCU MPH ‘26 BS ‘20
Grey Webbert, Civil Engineer