Letter to California State University, Long Beach regarding the removal of Professor Azza Basarudin as SJP faculty advisor

Andrew Jones

Acting President,

California State University, Long Beach 

 

Dr. Beth Lesen

Vice President for Student Affairs,

California State University, Long Beach 

 

Dear President Jones and Dr. Lesen:

 

We write on behalf of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on Academic Freedom to express our grave concern about the sudden and arbitrary removal of Professor Azza Basarudin from her role as faculty advisor to the CSULB student organization Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

 

MESA was founded in 1966 to promote scholarship and teaching on the Middle East and North Africa. As the preeminent organization in the field, the Association publishes the International Journal of Middle East Studies and represents nearly 2,800 members worldwide. MESA is committed to ensuring academic freedom and freedom of expression, both within the region and in connection with the study of the region globally.

 

Professor Basarudin was informed in a letter dated 2 February 2026 and signed by Anna Nazarian, Director of Student Life and Development at CSULB, that she had “engaged in conduct that violates the terms of [the CSULB Faculty Advisor Agreement].” The letter cited a requirement that faculty advisors “be familiar with and assist students in adhering to the Campus Regulations for campus activities, student organizations, and the university community.” While a link to the regulations was provided, the letter did not cite any specific regulation that Professor Basarudin had allegedly violated, nor did it indicate which actions on the part of Professor Basarudin had been deemed a violation of one or more of these regulations. Nazarian’s letter declared that Professor Basarudin was no longer faculty advisor to SJP and barred her from serving as faculty advisor to any recognized student organization at CSULB through the end of 2026.

 

This kind of an arbitrary administrative decision, bereft of transparency and specificity, constitutes a serious violation of the principles of academic freedom and of Professor Basarudin’s right to due process. Furthermore, the manner in which this was handled – without a formal hearing or even an informal opportunity for dialogue – is highly uncollegial and disrespectful. We note that the impact of such arbitrary administrative actions extends beyond the violation of academic freedom: they threaten the professional reputation of the faculty member and can have significant effects on their safety and well-being.

 

We therefore call on you to immediately reinstate Professor Basarudin as faculty advisor of SJP at CSULB, pending the conclusion of a transparent and fair review process that conforms to generally accepted norms, including delineation of the specific university regulation(s) she is alleged to have violated and providing her with the opportunity to refute the allegation(s) against her. We further call on you to publicly apologize to Professor Basarudin for the manner in which this matter has been handled to date, and to forcefully reiterate your commitment to respecting the academic freedom and the right to due process of all members of the CSULB community.

We look forward to your response.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ussama Makdisi

MESA President

Professor, University of California, Berkeley 

 

Judith E. Tucker
Chair, Committee on Academic Freedom
Professor Emerita, Georgetown University

 

cc:

 

Farida Shaheed

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education