Moral dilemma: student denied right to withdraw from course

Aglaya Muravlov, a film student at Simon Fraser University was denied permission to withdraw from the course because the university didn't think her objections to Richard Wagner's anti-Semitic ideas fulfilled extenuating circumstances requirements.

Muravlov says when she enrolled in the summer course, she had little background in Wagner and no knowledge of accusation of anti-Semitism against the German composer.

The course, general studies 304, Richard Wagner: the Ring of the Nibelung "... was supposed to analyze and study his ideas of ethics, politics, metaphysics, music and religion," Muravlov said.

In the sixth week, when another student in the course asked questions about "...the valueless, greedy race of Nibelung who some critics have suggested were a portrayal of the Jewish race," she says she was shocked.

"This is the first time," she said, "that I had heard of this interpretation; and it was week six." However, Alan Aberbach, the course instructor, says the issue hadn't been discussed because there is no direct evidence that Wagner meant to refer to Jews in his description of the Nibelungs. He added that the course has been taught at the university for twenty-five years without similar problems.

When Muravlov said she didn't think the issue could be avoided, Aberbach responded by suggesting she read a book outside of course time on the subject.

"Instead of one, I read six," she said. Every single book you open on every single page, they say he was an open and extreme anti-Semite, but in our course it was never mentioned."

However, Aberbach says Wagner was "very anti-organized religion; anti-Jewish and anti-Christian. He criticized the new testament, he criticized the gospels. His dislikes were fairly democratic. He disliked everybody. I mean no one's saying he was a nice, pleasant person. My book certainly went into all of the anti-Semitism and she had the book."

The next week Muravlov asked why it wasn't clear that they were dealing with an extreme anti-Semite.

"How come you didn't make it sure it was absolutely clear with everybody what we're dealing with?" she asked.

Muravlov decided to withdraw from the course, but Aberbach refused to sign the withdrawal form and suggested she instead write a paper about the issue.

"How can I write a paper on how he didn't mention it?" she asked.

Aberbach says he couldn't allow her to withdraw because he needed documentation to prove extenuating circumstances.

"I said I'm absolutely willing, but in order for the dean to sign it, there has to be documentation.... I spoke to the department and they said there was no way I could sign it unless there was documentation," he said.

Muravlov then appealed to acting dean of arts, Santa Aloi. Aloi replied with a letter near the end of July. The acting dean refused her request to withdraw. In her letter, Aloi said "...while you argue forcefully for your point of view, in order to receive a withdrawal under extenuating circumstances you would have to show that it was unusual circumstances beyond your control and not only intellectual or moral disagreement which prevented you from attending classes and completing the course."

Although Aloi says she recognizes moral issues could be grounds for withdrawal, "On the other hand, it's a very technical thing.... A professor who teaches a course has academic freedom in his teaching, " she said. "In the best of all worlds, this leads to an active dialogue."

Newly-appointed associate dean of arts, Roger Blackman, says Aberbach, by providing the opportunity for an essay on the subject provided sufficient reason for Muralov to stay in the course. Though he admits the criteria for withdrawing with extenuating circumstances may be applied differently in different departments, "...ultimately, there's no way of avoiding discretionary judgment," he said.

"I would have hoped," he added," that as mature people, the student and professor could reach a compromise."

Muravlov is currently pursuing a retroactive withdrawal from the course. She has contacted the ombuds office for assistance. Muravlov says she respects Aberbach, but feels she's been punished because her grade point average has been affected by her 0 the course she still had to pay for.

Erwin Nest, executive director of the Canadian Jewish Congress, which often provides advocacy, says the congress "will not be a party to whatever action she takes" until the Muravlov has completed the appeals process.

---

homepage current issue past issues search contact

---

more issue #3