ZZ 抗议杜克大学对一名中国女生的歧视与不公

johnny1114UID: 198911

在外网看到的， 国内今天也有转载
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/hr/m ... /08-10/771913.shtml 称遭导师歧视被学校迫退 中国留学生在美发抗议

Dear Chinese friends,

Could you please help me forward this message to those who may be interested in Chinese students’ rights?
I am Zihui Tang, a female student from China, and received my M.A. in history from Nankai University where I was awarded scholarships and fellowships. Before coming to Duke University, I was employed by Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and Rosenberger Asia Pacific Electronic Co., Ltd. and received awards of excellence for my performance.
　　
In 2003 I was awarded five-year funding to commence my doctoral program in Modern Chinese History at Duke University. In spite of the exploitation, humiliation, discrimination, and lack of professional academic advising from my former advisor, Sucheta Mazumdar, I have maintained a GPA of 3.58, and in Feb. 2006 I was awarded the maximum grant from Duke’s Asian Pacific Studies Institute for my doctoral research. Professor Mazumdar required me to work on her private efforts and my complaints about her unjust behavior triggered a battle between the tenured professor and the Ph.D. student.

During 2003-2005 while I worked with Prof. Mazumdar, she failed to give me professional academic counseling, disregarded my research interests and violated my academic freedom. Situation was exacerbated when she, against school policy, squeezed out my time for academic research to work on her private assignments. My protests resulted in her declaring I have Premenstrual Syndrome and forced me to see Duke counseling psychologist. She also claimed that Chinese students have educational insufficiencies and insulted Nankai University where I graduated.,
　　
After reporting Prof. Mazumdar’s misconducts to the History Department in May 2005, I was placed on a 10-month probationary period for “poor academic performance.” In strong disagreement with this “probation,” I filed my first petition to Duke’s Graduate School. According to Dr. Leigh DeNeef’s opinion (Associate Dean of the Graduate school at that time), I will be back on track of my Ph.D. program if I successfully constitute a new advising committee. Under the strict supervision of the History Department over the constituting process, I eventually had a new committee by the end of year 2005. The story is long and ugly and I have extensive files for your review. (You can go browsing the files at www.gmail.com, username: ztatduke, password: history; please do not leave any message or modify the files there. Those who would like to contact me to help can reach me at ztchnatduke@gmail.com).)
　　^
In April 2006 I submitted my 70-page research thesis for my new committee’s feedback per school policy. Against school policy, I never received any feedback on either my thesis or my program. My original schedule (known to History Dept.) had me departing USA for China on June 26 for my doctoral research trip.  I was not able to get a flight (detail History Dept. did not know) until July 3, 2006 and on June 27, 2006 I went to the History Department for visa reapplication documents. At this time Duke’s History Department announced the discontinuation of my studies at Duke University. Had I left, as expected, on June 26, 2006, I would not be able to return to the USA and fight for my rights. Needless to say they were shocked to see me on June 27, 2006..
　
With regard to both misconducts and unfairness I have gone through over past three years, I filed a second complaint to the Graduate School of Duke University on July 7, 2006. I request that the Graduate School hold a full investigation into my former advisor Sucheta Mazumdar’s misconducts (humiliation, discrimination, harassment, exploitation, and lack of professional academic advising), and that they give me the opportunity to complete my doctoral program at Duke University. I had a meeting with David F. Bell, Associate Dean of Duke’s Graduate School on July 24. The meeting lasted less than 20 minutes. Dr. Bell sent me his response on July 31, in which he glossed over all the key issues I raised in my files and reiterated the decision of the History Department.

Here is part of facts in Chinese version:
　　
杜克大学（Duke University）历史系副教授Sucheta Mazumdar：
1.要求我在系里的TA工作以外做其RA兼TA兼私人秘书；
2.未经与我讨论单方面三次改变我的研究方向；
3.强迫我选择现代中国知识分子对黑人的歧视为题做论文；
4.尽管承认我为其工作过多，但是在我指出需要更多个人时间用于学习和研究后宣称我有PMS并强迫我看心理医生；
5.要求我向其提交给其它教授的论文提纲, 由其审查通过后才能继续写作；
6.尽管我的GPA为3.58，通过了学术写作课程，申请获得研究基金，但反复贬低我的英语写作能力和学术研究能力，认为我不能完成Ph.D.学业。
7.在邮件中断言中国学生欠缺学术训练并贬低我的母校南开大学。
　　
杜克大学历史系：
1.在我反映了该教授包括上述各点在内的所有行为后对该教授没有任何调查；
2.认为我英语水平和学术能力不足以完成Ph. D.学业；
3.强加给我惩罚性的10个月probation并设置苛刻条件要求我证明自己合格后才能继续学业；
4.在历史系副主任监管下的论文委员会成员（历史系在要求我独立重新组织论文委员会的过程中拒绝一名与我有相同学术兴趣的华裔教授进入该委员会）拒不回复我的电子邮件，未对我的硕士论文提出任何评论和修改意见，认定我的硕士论文不合格但拒绝给出任何正式学术意见。
5.在以为我已离境回国搜集博士论文资料的情况下做出开除决定，企图使我因无法返校而自动终止申诉。

杜克大学研究生院：
1.接到我的两次申诉(分别发生在2005年6月和2006年7月)后未进行任何实质性的调查；
2.无原则地支持历史系的两次决定。
　　|
Given the fact that I have been wronged by Duke professors and administrators, I am appealing to all Chinese students and scholars in the States for your support. I am sure that I am not the only victim who was wronged as a Chinese F-1 student in an American university. As a disadvantaged group in American academic communities, we, Chinese students and scholars, can barely have our voice heard when we are discriminated and humiliated by others. Today, while I am fighting against such a solid bureaucratic institution and a powerful private academic unit, I wish my Chinese compatriots would support me by your intervention and action. I am positive that our fight will benefit Chinese students in the future who could be next unfortunate victims of the same injustice at Duke’s History Department, at Duke University, or at other American universities.
　　
If you would like to support me, please sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/ztatduke/petition.html, and/or write to President of Duke University (president@duke.edu) and Dean of Duke Graduate School (jrwright@duke.edu), expressing your concern over my case and appealing for a fair solution. Please also contact me at ztchnatduke@gmail.com if you have any legal or media resources I can resort to.
　　
Unite, and we will be strong.
　　
Sincerely,
Zihui Tang
Duke University
Zihui.tang@duke.edu3c
ztchnatduke@gmail.com (Please contact me at this email address if necessary)

johnny1114UID: 198911

2006年08月10日 16:20

　　中新网8月10日电 据美国《侨报》报道，在美国杜克大学攻读博士学位的中国留学生唐紫蕙(Tang Zihui，音译)，于6月27日到该校历史系办公室领取暑期回国签证的有关证明文件时，该系研究生主管匆忙向其宣读了要求她立刻退学的决定。唐紫蕙认为校方的做法对她本人以及中国学生不公平，为此发起网上签名抗议活动，呼吁在美华人团体给予关注和支持。

　　杜克大学历史系的中国留学生唐紫蕙被勒令退学，系方的理由是该生英语水平和学术能力不足以完成博士学业。然而唐紫蕙说，早在2005年夏天，她就因不堪忍受其印裔导师Sucheta Mazumdar的种种学术不端和歧视凌辱中国学生的行为，愤而向历史系做出正式申诉，由此引发了一名中国留学生与其导师、系乃至该校研究生院的长达一年多的艰苦斗争，并最终导致杜克大学历史系在以为其已离境回国搜集博士论文资料的情况下做出开除决定，企图使其因无法返校而自动终止申诉。

　　唐紫蕙在南开大学历史系获得硕士学位，2003年获一项5年期的资助进入杜克大学历史系攻读博士学位，是该校3年级博士生。唐紫蕙说，印裔教授要求她在助教工作以外为其承担RA兼TA兼私人秘书，甚至要求该生在寒暑假期间也要向其汇报行踪以便分派任务；还三次单方面改变她本人的研究方向，并强迫她以现代中国知识分子对黑人的歧视为题做论文。

　　唐紫蕙说，该教授反复贬低她本人的英语写作能力和学术研究能力，认为她不能完成博士学业；在邮件中扬言中国学生欠缺学术训练无法在第三年通过博士资格考试并贬低南开大学的历史研究水平；如此等等。

　　唐紫蕙指出，杜克大学历史系在接到她的有关投诉后没有任何调查，却采信该教授关于她“英语水平和学术能力不足”的评估，给她强加惩罚性的10个月观察期，并设置了苛刻条件要求她证明自己合格后方能继续学业。

　　这些条件包括：在四个月内组成能够指导该生完成中国史研究的新的指导委员会，在随后六个月内完成博士论文提纲并通过博士资格考试，提交一篇硕士论文。

　　唐紫蕙不同意历史系的这一决定并在去年7月上诉到该校研究生院，主管学生事务的副院长允诺如果她成功组成新的指导委员会，将能继续她的学业。

　　唐紫蕙表示，在重新寻找导师和重组指导委员会的过程中，历史系拒绝了一名与其有相同学术兴趣的华裔教授进入该委员会，并坚持该委员会必须将北卡州立大学的一名中国史教授纳入，尽管该教授表示自己无意招收新的学生。

　　2005年底，指导委员会重组完成，她还于今年春成功申请了亚太研究所给予博士课题的最大资助。然而在历史系副主任监管下的指导委员会成员对其学术要求置若罔闻，在接下来的2006年春季学期中拒不回复其电子邮件。正当她准备回国收集论文资料完成课题时，历史系在以为其已离境的情况下单方面做出开除决定，企图使其因无法返校而自动终止申诉。

　　唐紫蕙说，尽管自己的GPA为3.58，通过了学术写作课程，申请获得研究基金，但印裔导师Sucheta Mazumdar反复贬低她的英语写作能力和学术研究能力，认为她不能完成博士学业。而历史系偏听偏信，在自己反映了该教授包括上述各点在内的所有行为后没有任何调查。

　　她曾向系方要求合理解释，但历史系研究生主管态度粗暴地宣称她的硕士论文不合格。在历史系宣布了开除决定后，唐紫蕙决定上诉到研究生院。在近一个月的等待后，主管学生工作的副院长仅用不到20分钟倾听其陈述后便草草结束会见，一周后做出了维持历史系决定的正式通知。

　　去年年底，一名在耶鲁的中国留学生韩雪梅就曾遭遇类似困境，在中国学生会和国际学生组织的帮助下，韩雪梅上诉成功得以继续学业。

　　认为历史系这种作法对她本人以及中国学生不公平的唐紫蕙，日前向杜克大学校长Richard H. Brodhead递交了申诉状，并设立网站www.petitiononline.com/ztatduke/petition.html收集支持签名，呼吁在美华人团体给予支持。

　　据她本人表示，中国驻美大使馆近日曾专门致电给她，表达对这一事件的关注，未来她也不排除有关法律诉讼的可能。