Berkeley, CA – University of California, Berkeley offers extra credit to students who participate in pro-Palestinian protests on campus or push their local California district representative to criticize Israeli “occupation.”
An email received by students in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the university on Tuesday detailed the process, writing, “We’re offering a field trip and/or extra credit opportunity: (1) Students can attend the national student walkout tomorrow against the settler-colonial occupation of Gaza (info attached below) OR (2) Students can watch a short documentary on Palestine and call/email your local California representative.”
“Doing so will either count as a field trip or an extra five points on the field trip category of your grade. Section 101/102 students can e-mail me to let me know which option they choose, and a screenshot/photo with proof of their participation. Sections 103/104 can do the same.”
In the email, sent by the university’s lecturer Victoria Hyun in her course titled “Asian American Communities and Race Relations,” Hyun added her lecture would discuss “Palestinian history in relation to class concepts like colonialism, imperialism, and Third World solidarity.”
Students were outraged after receiving the email. “I couldn’t believe it was real,” one of them told Ynetnews. “They’re asking us to justify the horrible violence acted against civilians and children, and receive credit for that? It’s unimaginable.”
A spokesperson for UC Berkley responded, “As soon as the administration was made aware of the assignment it moved quickly to ensure that it would be changed. The situation has been remedied, the assignment has been changed and there are now a number of options for extra credit, not just one. Students can now attend any local event they wish — such as a book talk or a panel discussion—-related to the course’s subject, including the protest… or they can watch any documentary they wish about the Middle East.”
According to the spokesperson, these local events also include “pro-Israel events, rallies, vigils, demonstrations or protests,” adding that “What I can say is that, generally speaking, the university responds quickly to violations of policy and is committed to imposing appropriate consequences when policy is violated.”
Hyun is obviously not alone: On Wednesday TA Alan Moore from Public Policy Candidate at UC Berkeley has canceled his class in support of protest against Israel, encouraging students to attend.
