Kean University students "occupy" campus to protest school President

Students at Kean University camped out on campus Thursday night, March 15, to protest the retention of school president Dawood Farahi, who came under fire last month when it was discovered he may have falsified information on his resume.

Nearly two dozen students gathered and set up tents near the center of campus to “Occupy the Grass.” The “occupants” distributed flyers, threw Frisbees and spoke to students and faculty about their discontent with President Farahi and the school board’s decision to retain him.

“We just feel it would be best for him [Farahi] to leave,” said Katie Arzig, the event’s co-organizer.

After a brief investigation, Farahi admitted in January 2012 that he falsified claims about his accomplishments before he was hired in 2003, but refused to list the indiscretions in an interview with The Star-Ledger. Critics, including the participants at Thursday’s event, say the articles Farahi claimed he had written in dozens of publications do not exist.

The Kean University School Board voted seven to four last month to keep Farahi, causing a stir amongst a selection of the school’s students, alumni and faculty.

However many of Kean’s students and faculty are either ignorant or indifferent about Farahi’s situation, Arzig said, and that the protest was meant to inform and enlighten the Kean community.

“Student’s don’t really know what’s going on,” Arzig said. “And I think the professors in the teacher’s union support [our protest]. I’m not sure. It’s fifty-fifty.”

About 12 students camped overnight, while Arzig estimates 25 people sat in on the event over the course of a rainy and cold Thursday and Friday.

At risk for Kean is their standing with the Middle States Committee on Higher Education as well as its nationwide reputation, Arzig says.

The Middle States Committee put Kean on warning in July 2011 for unrelated demerits and is expected to consider reaffirming Kean's accreditation at an upcoming meeting this summer. Though the university's accreditation cannot be revoked at the meeting, stricter regulations may be placed on Kean if the committee feels the school hasn't done enough to cultivate compliance with accreditation standards.

The protestors claimed the Farahi controversy might influence Middle States to rule against the school.

The sit-in was the second formal demonstration against the school board’s decision to retain Farahi. Following the initial decision on Feb. 15, dozens of students and faculty members walked out of class and marched down Morris Avenue, a main street adjacent to campus.

Arzig says the protestors will convene over the upcoming spring break and discuss potential further protests.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.