Rutgers Dean frets over election unrest

Carolyn Moehling, the associate Dean of Undergraduate Education at the Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences, has written a “Dear Colleagues” letter to all professors and lecturers at the state university, requesting that they refrain from scheduling challenging classwork or homework for the days immediately following the November 3 election.

One professor told the New Jersey Globe that the concern seems aimed at either a Donald Trump victory of a contested election, which would presumably trigger enough worry that students could not properly focus on their schoolwork. “They seem to be anticipating a big Trump victory. Do they know something I don’t know?” said the professor.

The letter reads:

“Dear Colleagues,

The New Brunswick Faculty Council has issued a statement encouraging faculty to consider not giving exams or assigning papers for the days immediately following the election. I would ask that you share this statement with your faculty.

I understand how challenging it is for instructors to change their course schedules mid-semester, but I anticipate that the days leading up to, and immediately following, the election will be tumultuous. We all need to be sensitive how this will affect our students.

Thank you,

Carolyn”

Moehling is an economic historian who taught at Ohio State and Yale before coming to the Rutgers Department of Economics in 2006. No stranger to politics or the role economics plays in it, she is the co-author of “Votes for Women: An Economic Perspective on Women’s Enfranchisement” and “Immigrant Assimilation into U.S. Prisons, 1900-1930.”

It is unclear whether the concerned faculty are expecting traumatized students or even unrest, in the event of an unexpected election outcome or a contested result. Moehling did not immediately respond to a 5:55 PM email seeking comment.

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