Franak Fiachorka: ‘I am a student who does not correspond to the new conception of the journalistic faculty’
Franak says: ‘Today at 10 a.m. Siarhei Dubrovik, the dean of the journalistic faculty of the Belarusian State University, sarcastically informed me that I was expelled for ‘poor academic progress’ by the rector’s order which was signed by the provost.
Having finished Yakub Kolas Lyceum in 2005 I entered the journalistic faculty to receive there full-time education on the budget basis. I studied well for 2,5 years, received diplomas from this very dean for excellent progress, had an increased scholarship for it, had letters of commendation for participation in the public life of the university, and the average grade of 8,7 (for four semesters), ‘tens’ for term papers and prizes for different things.
On 16 January I was detained and sentenced to 15 days of jail for ‘dirty swearing’. I appealed against the verdict to the city court and continue applying to higher court instances. I asked the faculty administration to participate in the trials as witnesses on my side so that they could characterize me. They refused to do it.
I missed two exams because of the imprisonment. I passed the previous three exams with no problems at all. According to their logics arrest is not a good excuse for missing classes and I have missed not only the exams, but the repeating exams as well. Dubovik ordered to establish the examination commissions for me. The first exam, the Russian literature, was accepted by the teachers Uladzimir Kapsau, Hrazhyna Paulouskaya and Liudmila Sayankova; the second – stylistics of the Belarusian language – to Hanna Basava, Viktar Iuchanka and Tsikotski Jr. I knew both subjects very good and had no doubts that I would pass the exams, but the heads of the commissions had a different opinion. At the first exam provocative questions were asked by Iuiankova and Sayankova. The rest just kept silent and signed the commission minutes, but in this case their silence hits harder than deliberate lies. I got a ‘three’ in the Russian literature and a ‘two’ in stylistics.
I made audio recordings of the exams. The questions of Iuiankova and Sauchankau had nothing to do with the Russian literature, and Tsikotski’s questions had no relation to stylistics. At Iuchankau’s department I demanded to show me the program of his course, but they answered that there wasn’t any program at all.
I met with Samusevich. ‘I don’t decide anything’, the vice-dean answered. Then I come to Dubrovik. He says in a sad voice: ‘What do you like to hear from me? Go to the rector, I say’. The rector Strazhau took a pause and then pronounced his excuse: ‘You know I don’t sign any orders on my own…’ He let me understand that everything was decided on a much higher level.
On 12 February Lukashenka opened a new bulk of the Belarusian State University. He voiced the new conception of journalism of Belarus. And I am a student who simply failed to meet this conception.’
