Student-faculty trust deficit grows

CHENNAI: It all started with the open forum in March when students and faculty had a heated exchange over some proposed new restrictions that IIT-Madras management wanted to bring into effect in the hostels. But the situation on the campus seems to have developed into a deep trust deficit after a faculty e-mail thread surfaced in the media on Tuesday. A visit to the campus revealed how mutual suspicion has grown between the faculty and students.Members of both groups who spoke to Express traded wild accusations. Sitting near the famous elephant circle, a group of civil engineering students said that the leaking of the e-mail thread was perhaps the handiwork of a few professors, who wanted to malign the image of the students by holding them responsible.According to them, almost all administrative bodies in the institution are now being dominated by conservative elements, who have taken upon themselves to curtail the freedom of students under the guise of security and discipline.“We have been on the campus for four years, but it is only recently that such voices are being heard. This directly points to the changes at the top that took place over the year,” said Ravi, a third-year student.Students alleged that following the forum, the attitude of certain faculty members has changed for the worse. “It is only because they referred to certain actions of ours that we had to confront them with issues of sexuality and all in the forum. What right do they have to say what our preferences should be?” questioned a student who took part in the forum. Restrictions such as a curb on girls going out after 11pm and curtailing internet access in the night drew flak.Professors, on the other hand, alleged that the media had unduly favoured the students, ignoring certain genuine issues raised by the faculty. “If anything happened to one of the students, we would be the first to be blamed,” said a senior professor.