YEREVAN. – I replied to the letter. Instead of publishing the response to the letter, you make your comments. It would be a good idea to post a reply to the letter and the matters will be closed. Yerevan State University (YSU) Acting Rector Gegham Gevorgyan said this today to the students holding a sit-in in front of the rector's office.

According to him, the letter clearly states everything that was to be written.

"There is a format for convening a special session of the [YSU] Academic Council; when, in which case, it can be convened," Gevorgyan said. "I have made a reference, please read the university charter and go by the charter."

According to him, he has told students and faculty members of the Academic Council that they can express their opinions freely, but it is desirable that they be nominal.

According to the acting rector, the demand should have been aimed at improving working or learning conditions or complaining about something, but here the demand is different. "Your demand is political, your demand is addressed to the National Assembly," he added. "You want to specify something by law."

YSU Student Programs Coordinator Eduard Galstyan, in turn, told the acting rector that their action is not directed against any person.

"The action aims to make the topic a subject of discussion at the university," Galstyan said. “We have said that we are asking the university leadership to hold a special session of the Academic Council to discuss this issue. I do not know what the impression is that the demand is political."

The students had announced yesterday that they would stage a sit-in during the working hours in the area until Gevorgyan receives them. The reason is their letter to the acting rector, whose response was not to their satisfaction. In the letter, they requested Gevorgyan to convene a meeting of the YSU Academic Council to discuss not only the new bill's proposal to make subjects "Armenian Language", "Armenian Literature" and "Armenian History" optional in non-specialized faculties of Armenia’s universities, but also Education, Science, Culture and Sport Minister Arayik Harutyunyan behavior during his meeting with the lecturers. The acting rector said in a reply letter that the teaching staff’s objections to the controversial draft law had been sent to the ministry, whereas regarding the second point said that they had no such power.

The aforesaid students have resumed their boycotting of classes, but not everyone is taking part. There are classes at the Faculty of Armenian Philology, albeit in half-empty classrooms. The students who are participating in the boycotting of classes have received absences throughout the course.

These students had boycotted classes also from November 6 to 20, expressing their disagreement with the new bill's proposal to make subjects "Armenian Language", "Armenian Literature" and "Armenian History" optional in non-specialized faculties of Armenia’s universities.

Their protest was joined by lecturers from the YSU chairs of Armenian Language and History who had announced a one-day symbolic strike in support of the students. The lecturers then met with Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Arayik Harutyunyan and expressed their grievances.

Students were angered, according to them, with the minister’s disrespectful demeanor toward the lecturers at the meeting.

The aforesaid controversial bill is currently being debated on as a working draft.