We are Undergraduate, Graduate, and PhD students, Alumni, as well as Student Employees at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Social Sciences writing this letter to convey our sincere concerns about the insecure status of tenure for Dr. Ruby Dagher. As Social Science students affiliated with the School of International Development and Global Studies, we are dedicated to equity and social justice and believe it is of great importance that we shed light on institutional oversights that impede on the rights of exceptional educators such as Dr. Dagher. This initiative is prompted by students committed to working together for an impartial review of tenure for Dr. Ruby Dagher by Spring 2024, whilst equally in support of the School’s enhancement and flourishing as a space for community engagement, learning, and knowledge development. 

 We consider ourselves privileged to be involved within our Faculty, and for the many opportunities we have been granted. However, in a hyper-globalized world with daily rising social threats, the need for diversity in academia is of utmost urgency. In particular, this precariously employed faculty member has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to our work and our lives and we celebrate this person’s role in the School. 

As a highly respected trilingual expert in the field, Dr. Dagher’s educational accomplishments began with a joint Bachelor's in Economics and Political Science at McGill, followed by a Masters and subsequent PhD in Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University. Outshining many with already over 30 academic publications under her belt, in addition to 11 years of teaching experience, she also contributes over 9 years of policy consulting with the Government of Canada. 

Teaching more than 55 courses in both the francophone and anglophone programs at all levels, with rich professional and academic credentials coupled with a distinct ability to captivate, guide, and support students, Dr. Dagher has and continues to be held within a temporary replacement role. Hosting little job security, lower pay, lack of access to research funding, and the inability to supervise the long list of graduate and doctorate students dedicated to working with her, we hope that this letter will shed light on the injustice at hand and the need for immediate measures of reconciliation.

In our combined years of education, it is clear to us that few educators challenge and motivate like Dr. Dagher does for her students regardless of one’s differing backgrounds, experiences, and/or perspectives. Her devotion both during and outside of class and office hours are only some of the countless ways in which she demonstrates her advanced qualities as a tenured professor. We, who have come to know her often refer to her as the golden thread that bridges the institutional gaps in a thinning and ever-decaying fabric of community and social welfare. Her many unpaid hours and service have in many cases made differences by supporting those facing student homelessness, starvation, extreme mental health challenges, and engaging students’ burdened will to continue with their academic journeys to their full completion. Altering the course of many lives, Dr. Dagher inspires those around her daily to persevere amidst the many societal barriers and bureaucratic processes that challenge the ongoing fight for a more equitable and inclusive world. We believe the world to be in desperate need of more people like this to be adequately acknowledged for their endless contributions.  

For students involved in research and other projects, Dr. Dagher’s guidance has been particularly invaluable. Thanks to her advice and teachings, we have succeeded in applications to the University's Ethics review board, research proposals, and our applications for funding and scholarships. The lessons we take away from our meetings with her – which we understand is usually extra work for which she rarely receives credit – are useful to us in every subsequent effort. Providing tools and guidance with a focus on broader applicability, she encourages us to learn how to fish for knowledge instead of simply giving us the fish. A number of us would like Dr. Dagher as a chosen research supervisor, and for us especially, the idea that her time at the School is not long-term nor guaranteed means we are losing the faculty member we need for our studies.

We write to you today to humbly ask for your support by signing this petition. In doing so, you will be supporting our plea for the University of Ottawa to present Dr. Dagher with the dignified opportunity of an unbiased full-tenure contract review proportional to her experience, credentials, outstanding commitment to research, and far-reaching impacts on the academic achievement of her students. 

In addition to signing this petition, we offer students and colleagues the opportunity to share thoughts or experiences with Dr. Dagher in the comment section below. 

We appreciate you taking the time to consider this initiative, and we wishfully anticipate a successful outcome that guarantees equity and justice for outstanding members of the academic community like Dr. Dagher.

From all of us, we pass you our respects, and wish you the best for the New Year,

Sincerely,

Students and Alumni