Satya Wacana rocked by more feuding

Satya Wacana rocked by more feuding

SALATIGA, Central Java (JP): The Satya Wacana Christian
University was rocked by more feuding after the foundation which
owns the college appointed its new executive board on Wednesday.

Senior staff lecturer Reverend Broto Semedi led the protest
yesterday against the appointment of the board which he said was
undemocratic and ignored the aspirations of the college's staff
and students.

Calling the foundation authoritarian, Broto said, "The leaders
of the university neglected the university's inherited principles
of openness and respect to other people's opinions."

The university has been rocked by a series of protests in the
last two months over the dismissal of one of its vocal staff
lecturers, Arief Budiman. The protests led to the dismissal of
rector John JOI Ihalauw and a revamping of the foundation's
executive board.

On Wednesday the foundation appointed Prof. Sri Wismoady
Wahono as chairman of the foundation in place of Harjono
Semangun. Harjono still sits on the board as deputy chairman.

The appointment coincide with the 38th anniversary of Satya
Wacana.

A group of discontented staff lecturers and students have
formed a group called "Pro Democracy" which held its own separate
anniversary commemoration on Wednesday on the campus.

Broto recalled that these problems did not happened when the
university was led by Dr. Noto Hamidjojo and Dr. Sutarno because
both men were always open to criticism and they paid attention to
other people's opinions.

Satya Wacana University was established by five churches --
the Christian Church of Java, the Christian Church of Indonesia,
the Isa Almasih Church, the Muria Christian Church and the
Christian Protestant Church of West Indonesia. (har/imn)