The Embarrassment and Stigma of Failing To Make the Grade

By Bill L. Turpen

I didn’t make the grade. Although I am among the academics who petitioned to be included among Americans of conscience who were featured on the Campus-Watch Web site, my name is not among them. Even though for a short time there were many more dossiers than the original eight, my name was omitted even from the longer list.

Now, I’m angry—but I can’t put all the blame on Daniel Pipes. Pipes, after all, has certain standards to maintain. It is not his fault that I have not done enough to persuade significant numbers of people to adopt a more balanced, rational and accurate view of the Middle East. In fact, when I contacted Campus-Watch I admitted my lack of some of the credentials held by those on the list. Because of my sincerity, however, I hoped I could be included anyway.

I blame lifetime habits of procrastination for this. Had I worked harder many years ago, surely by now I would be teaching hundreds of university students, scores of whom would have nominated me. As things are, at the university level I am an adjunct instructor who teachers only one or two sections per semester. And, no one among my few students nominated me—although I asked them to, even providing the Web address. Like many Washington Report readers, I just have not done enough to spread the word—yet.

This column is not really about me, however, and it certainly is not about the notorious Dr. Pipes. It is time to move on to other things.

A Variety of Opportunities

The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) and the Middle East Outreach Council (MEOC) offer a genuine, down-to-earth “good deal” for K-12 and junior college educators. Normally, annual membership dues in MESA are $90, and there is a $10 charge for the MEOC membership. A joint MESA/ MEOC membership for these educators, however, is $35 per annum. While this membership category does not include the International Journal of Middle East Studies, members do receive both the MESA and the MEOC newsletters, and have voting privileges in both organizations. Among their other items, both newsletters contain up-to-date resources and teaching tips. Now is a good time to be thinking of membership, since the membership cycle is Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. Members who join any time in the middle of the year will receive back issues, and then renew their dues in January. All membership categories can be investigated at <http://fp.arizona.edu/mesassoc/onlinembrapp.htm>.

Another bargain: The Syrian Studies Association offers $10 student memberships, and $20 for “all others.” This non-profit, non-political association is affiliated with MESA, and publishes a newsletter, sponsors academic panels at scholarly conferences, and provides information on studying in Syria. The scope of this organization is not limited to present-day Syria alone, but includes the pre-1918 “Greater Syria”—basically the area between the beaches of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Euphrates River. To learn more, visit <http://www.ou.edu/ssa/>.

The Palestinian American Research Center (PARC) was founded in 1998, and for good reason. In 1996, only two of 174 doctoral dissertations on Middle Eastern topics related to Palestinian studies. In 1997, the figure was two among 80. Palestinian scholars, moreover, have fewer resources in their home country, and suffered from a lack of access to programs abroad. Even compared to their Jordanian, Syrian and Lebanese counterparts, Palestinians suffered from a paucity of resources, “connections,” and opportunity. Today, PARC is actively engaged in overcoming these and other problems, and, thanks to grants from the Rockefeller and the Ford Foundations, offers Research Fellowships in Palestinian Studies for the 2003 and 2004 academic year. The application deadline is Feb. 15, 2003, but interested individuals can join the organization at any time. Membership dues are “$15 and up” for students, and “$25 and up” for other individuals. See <http://www.parcenter.org/membership/membership2002.html>, read it, then click on “Get PARC Membership Application.”

The Plight of “Foreign” Students

As we seek to improve our knowledge of Middle Eastern affairs, let us not forget the plight of those Middle Easterners who desire to learn more about us. Never has the life of the “foreign student” in the U.S. been entirely easy—why else did many campuses change the description to “international student,” as if the scholar were from two or more countries simultaneously? Today, of course, there are some added elements which must be acknowledged. After the World Trade Center bombing, a nationwide hysteria developed. Now students from certain Middle Eastern countries must report for interviews and fingerprinting—nor is an Iranian-born young man who helped rescue stranded workers at the World Trade Center excluded from this policy.

The other problem is largely financial. Many colleges and universities have adopted higher tuition rates for students from abroad. These rates exceed those paid by the American “out-of-state” students. After earning and borrowing enough money to study in the United States, unfavorable exchange rates and the high costs of tuition and living expenses, many non-American students find their resources gone after only one or two semesters. Decades ago, a part-time job would have been the answer—but no more. Under present guidelines, these students face deportation when they are caught working.

This is unacceptable. To understand why, one has only to stroll through the streets of Amman and look at office windows. In Jordan, professionals such as doctors and engineers proudly display along with their names the names of the American universities where they earned their degrees. These people can be some of the best friends Americans will ever have. It would be a shame to see these “foreign students” go home too early.

In past months, I have provided several pertinent URLs and e-mail addresses in this column: now, here is mine. Readers who have any solutions or suggestions about the problems of Middle Eastern students in the United States, are welcome to contact me at <bturpen@ossm.edu>.

Bill L. Turpen teaches history at the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics and is an adjunct instructor for the University of Central Oklahoma.