Against the removal from office of Doctor Tarek Nawas, Dean of Students, LAU Beirut

We the undersigned would like to file our petition to Lebanese American University to retract the removal of Doctor Tarek Na'was, Dean of Students from office. We also request that the administration and the decision makers at L.A.U should take into their consideration the feelings of the student body in such matters.

As students of the Lebanese American University, according to Article II: Student Rights in the Student Code of Conduct, part A refers to our basic rights, which are the following:

Students shall have the right to be:
1.Availed of the opportunity for free inquiry, expression, and creed.
2.Secure in their personas, residence, and belongings,
3.Protected, as all members of the University community, against prejudiced behavior.

Therefore, based on the mentioned above rights, as students, we have the right to inquire the reasons behind the removal of Doctor Tarek Na'was, Dean of Students from office. We also have the right to express our displeasure and raise our objections and concern to the matter for our performance and psychological state of mind concerning our stay and our educational outcome in L.A.U remain intact, of course while respecting the university and its rules.

As students we will not be discriminated in the future academically or in any other way for our present defiance of Doctor Nawas leaving his post, so long that throughout the protest we should abide by "The Student Code of Ethics and Conduct".

We also request, according to number 5 of the Basic Rights of Article 2 that the university will let us meet to present our case in protest. Participants in the governance of the university through membership in appropriate designated University councils and committees provided they meet the requirements established by the University.

Our requests:

1) Prolong Dr Nawas position, if not indefinitely, then at least by 3 years:

We are not business clients. We are real students with pride and dignity. L.A.U is not a business company; thus the administration, and whoever took the decision, must take into consideration our feelings toward the matter. In this case, we, kindly, need our Dean to remain in this post, as the Dean of Student Services. If it is impossible, then at least for one more term; 3 more years, until all students who knew Dr. Nawas graduate, beginning by 2010.

2) Allow us to protest within university grounds:

Of course this is as long as Students behave by the book, otherwise known as The Student Code of Conduct and Ethics. It is known, that any strike, demonstration, or event, that is to take place on any property of L.A.U must be granted permission from the Guidance Office or the Dean of Student Services, aka Dr. Nawas. Of course we cannot ask Dr. Nawas for such permission regarding a strike or a demonstration in this case.

3) We request an explanation:

We, kindly, ask and request for justifications and the real reasons for such decision. Because we strongly feel that Dr. Nawas has been wrongfully treated, and thus we ask for clarifications, if not justice.

4) Future decisions:

We, kindly, ask that we be updated on decisions for future changes and why and how such decisions are made. We also, strongly, request that any future decision of such importance and severity should and must be well considered, taking into consideration the importance of the students feelings and the inner personal environment of Beirut campus itself.

5) Democratic Student Election on Deans position:

We request that we elect our Dean. By allowing students to be engaged in the process as they are the primary beneficiaries from the dean of students thus increasing student satisfaction which has proven to impact the reputation of LAU during Dr. Nawas time as the dean of students therefore although students cannot have direct impact on the decision making process however the indirect impact should be taken into account.

However, we are well aware of the following:

1)We should not and are not interfering in the administrative decisions of L.A.U. We know that the simple reply to us if we did try to interfere would be that it is none of our concern. Legally, it is L.A.U.s business, not ours. The administration have the right to accept, reject, relieve, expel any officer, faculty member, staff, or a student, proved that the legal channels are fulfilled and the requirements are met and present. We cant force the administration to keep our Doctor Nawas in his position, as that would be critically against the law. However, as we all know and believe, we have the right for freedom of speech and opinion, reinforced by Article 13 of the Lebanese Constitution, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the imposed democratic climate of any respectful university in the world. Its our right to express what we all feel in such circumstances.


We, the students in particular, and the administration and faculty members of the Lebanese American University, in general, should and must understand that L.A.U alumni, LAU present students and LAU future students, are not clients, but rather legitimate learners of a well established educational institute with a definite mission. But we also know, believe as living witnesses that it was Dr. Nawas who always pulled us back to the road that we kind of drifted away from the road to success. He never treated anyone of us as clients, but rather as family.

All what we are all asking for is to kindly reconsider the decision. We all belong to L.A.U and we will forever remain faithful to this institution, but mainly to this man. It hurts us to see that the only man, who managed to keep our stay at L.A.U worth every second, leave because the administration thought it would be right. Everyone knows how he efficiently could control the political climate, how he contributed generously to the welfare and the promotion of our university, and how he befriended and guided every single student throughout the levels of his/her education. Dr. Nawas has become the front of the Lebanese American University over the years and we are proud to have him. Please dont take this away from us.

We, the signers of this petition, believe that Dr. Nawas has helped us tremendously throughout our stay at L.A.U and we would like to ask the administration and decision makers to kindly reconsider their decision concerning the matter.

Therefore, we, signing this petition willingly, are personally aware of its content since it serves our personal belief as L.A.U students.