Dear Vanderbilt community,
As we continue to see a distressing rise in antisemitism play out in our country and around the world, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on our campus environment and our responsibility as a community.
First and foremost, Vanderbilt rejects and condemns antisemitism and all other forms of discrimination.
It is unfortunate but undeniable that we are living in a time of great political and social division. In recent months, we have seen serious incidents of friction between student groups and heard serious concerns from the Jewish community. We experienced another such incident recently when an assistant football coach made comments on social media that were interpreted by many as being supportive of the appalling antisemitic sentiments espoused by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. Athletic Director Candice Lee issued a statement on the matter today, which you can find here.
We take seriously our responsibility to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of our community. The university works in a variety of ways to combat antisemitism and to provide a more inclusive campus environment. This year, in response to concerns expressed by some of our students, we have taken significant steps to be more intentional and proactive in reminding students that they are eligible for accommodations related to the Holy Days calendar and in communicating to faculty that they should accommodate these students. As a university, we are constantly working to educate our students, faculty and staff on issues of faith and culture. The Center for Spiritual and Religious Life offers antisemitism programming provided by the Anti-Defamation League, and the Center for Teaching leads inclusion workshops focused on how to support faculty, staff and students in combating intolerance and hatred.
Still, we recognize that we have more work to do and that creating a welcoming environment is a continuous effort based on learning and growing. We are in discussion with the Jewish community and other groups to ensure that we are making strides in pursuit of our cherished values of inclusion, acceptance and belonging.
We must remember that part of Vanderbilt’s responsibility as a university is to address the most pressing issues of our time, and the damagingly divisive climate we find ourselves in is no exception. The evidence of it that we see on our campus should serve as a reminder that we have a responsibility to listen thoughtfully to one another and to support and protect every member of our community. We need to stay committed to our university culture where we can discuss and debate even the most controversial and difficult issues without demonizing each other.
At Vanderbilt, we are in a unique position to uphold these values and to serve as a model for organizing the kinds of constructive, civil conversations that can lead to positive and lasting change. We will redouble our efforts to convene those conversations across our campus on a range of issues. Even—and especially—during these troubling times, we must leverage our diverse backgrounds and perspectives, as well as our quest for knowledge and truth, to maintain an inclusive and empowering campus for all who join us.
As One Vanderbilt, we must view ourselves as a community. Like any community, we have our similarities and our differences, and we will not always see eye to eye. On the contrary, we will often disagree strongly on issues of consequence, and that should be embraced as a vital part of our role as a university. But we must engage in healthy and civil discourse and debate while also showing compassion and empathy, and we must make every effort to appreciate and learn from our differences rather than allowing them to divide us.
Going forward, as part of our commitment to providing open forums for discussion and debate, Vanderbilt will provide opportunities for university-wide conversations on antisemitism. We will have more to share about that soon.
Thank you all for your contributions and your commitment to living our values.
Sincerely,
Daniel Diermeier Chancellor
C. Cybele Raver Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
André Churchwell Vice Chancellor for Outreach, Inclusion and Belonging and Chief Diversity Officer
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