Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
On March 17, they forcibly removed the plaque sparking controversy among students and staff.
Fouad Sayess, the vice-president of finance, told The Caravan that the plaque has not been recovered.
He also said that administration will not come to a final decision regarding the plaque until a university-wide forum addresses the issue.
“The administration still has no plans but we are asking to return the school property first,” Sayess said. He described the plaque’s removal as “inappropriate” and “premature.”
Discussion groups on some social networking sites speculated that the plaque could be put to auction, but some students find that to be a of little use.
“I honestly don't see the appeal of buying something that has absolutely no historical or political relevance, it’s just a slab with some letters arranged to spell out the name of a former dictator's wife,” Ahmed Bially, a mass communication junior, said.
Mina Morgan, an electronics sophomore, suggested that the plaque should be returned to the hall and no further action taken.
“The woman deserves a bit more honor and after all, the donor who gave the money to name the hall after ‘Suzanne Mubarak’ should share in taking the decision,” Morgan said.
The money for the hall was reportedly given to AUC by close affiliates of the Mubarak family, with the specific purpose of naming the hall after the former first lady.
AUC received $12,109 worth of gifts and endowments in 2009-2010, according to the president’s annual report.
In a previous interview with The Caravan, Sayess said that the donor has the right to demand the return of their money if the plaque is not returned to its original place.
The university has not yet contacted the donors.
