Principal and Rector Issue Joint Statement
Principal Dame Sally Mapstone and recently elected Rector, Stella Maris, have issued a joint statement to all students. This comes following the Rector’s email sent to all students last week, entitled: “Call for Immediate Ceasefire: Rector’s Statement on the Israeli - Palestine Conflict”.
As a result, an open letter was created and circulated, calling for “a retraction and clarification” of Ms Maris’ remarks and failing that, the Rector’s “immediate resignation”. St Andrews’ Jewish Society (JSOC) published a statement condemning the Rector’s email on Instagram. Ms Maris responded in the comment section, writing, “My statement speaks for itself. I will not have antisemitism weaponised against me. I will not interact with this post after this message. The hate and abuse I have received has been truly shocking, but you will never intimidate me into not speaking truth to power”. Just a few hours ago, Ms Maris also posted a series of Instagram stories, including one reading “I Don’t Hate Jewish People. Stop being weird”. A letter of support for the Rector has also been in circulation, and previous coverage from The Saint can be found here.
Earlier today, 27 November, however, the Principal and Rector met “to discuss the effects of her message on our community”.
“We have agreed to a process of mediation in which she and I will work together to try and restore an environment of inclusivity and respect”.
Assuring students that the issue would not overshadow this week’s scheduled Graduation ceremonies, the Principal continued: “The Rector wishes to acknowledge the distress which elements of her message have caused to some students, staff and alumni in the St Andrews community. She also wishes it to be known that she will advocate for the voices of Palestinian, Jewish, BAME and other groups of students affected directly, and indirectly, by the war in Gaza and Israel to be heard.”
“I wish to acknowledge the Rector’s stated commitment to put student interests ahead of all else, and I wish to unreservedly condemn the abuse she has received from sources outside the University in the wake of her message. Racism is utterly abhorrent, in all its forms.”
“The Rector and I intend to pursue further mediation with the aim of restoring confidence amongst all in our community that St Andrews is a place in which all should feel safe, heard and supported.”
“We hope our joint aim is one which will find support across this peace-loving, principled but inclusive community.”
The email concluded by asserting that “The Rector has been fully consulted on, agrees with, and has jointly signed this message”.
This story will be periodically updated to reflect developments.
Image courtesy of the University of St Andrews.
Stella is determined to ignore concerned students.
This is a public proclamation of her intent to derelict her duty of pastoral care.
The main issue here is not the sources or terminology she used. It is that she took an apolitical and pastoral care position and used her to advance her own worldviews. She obviously knew such a message would be divisive and polarizing. She didn't care and went ahead with it, putting her activism above the well-being of the St Andrews community. In one month she's caused more division and controversy than all the previous rectors combined by tarnishing the office with politics (on top of having no authority or any expertise on the topic she lectures the world on). The fact that she doesn't acknowledge the harm she's causing by apologising and by staying in office shows again that she…