Students go to court against USP: “political retaliation”

A collective writ of mandamus from the Central Student Directory (DCE) of the University of São Paulo (USP), signed by a group of academic centers and student union dated Friday (27), questions in court the Pro-Rector’s guidance of the institution for the failure of students who would join the strike, which began more than a month ago at the institution. The university also requests the cancellation of registrations for incoming students.

Students demand the non-reduction of courses, the hiring of more teachers and the automatic replacement of educators who retire, the reformulation of the Support Program for Student Permanence and Training and the non-punishment of students who have joined the strike.

The strike includes courses from the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Architecture, Urbanism and Design, Geography and School of Dramatic Art and Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Human Sciences. Some teachers also support the mobilization.

On the official Instagram of the USP DCE, the Directory described the opening of legal proceedings against the University of São Paulo and that the “action was carried out in response to the absurd circular sent by the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, which not only allows for disapproval and mass expulsion of students, but it also appears as an attempt to curtail the right to protest and study”.

According to the Directory, the mobilization is “legitimate and it should not be the rectory who dictates its end”. In the action, the DCE and academic centers consider that no student can be harmed by “fighting for their rights” and called the action “political retaliation” against academics.

In the action, the DCE highlights that absences should only be added to classes actually taught and, as no classes were held, there are no absences to be counted, which would dismantle the thesis of failure due to non-attendance.

He also considered that there was an agreement signed with the rectory, but that it was breached. According to the academics, the Pro-Rector’s Office had committed to presenting to the Undergraduate Council the replacement of classes so that “pedagogical losses resulting from the strike period could be reduced”. The agreement would also address the institution’s commitment not to adopt political reprisals against students involved in the mobilization.

The institution considers that “the task of closing the attendance sheet of students is the responsibility of the professor, in line with their Unit, and is not the function of the Pro-Rectory or other central body of USP” and that regarding the legal demand, clarifications will be provided as soon as the University is notified and “becomes aware of the terms of the action”.

Regarding the demand for more educators, USP had also commented in the circular stating that, since 2014, this is the lowest number of active teachers at the university (5,190) until August this year.

USP considered that it will not change its 2023 academic calendar, which ends on December 22nd and by registering six weeks of interruption – which should occur this week – students could be failed due to absence.