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)