Dear Campus Community:
Yesterday’s decision to deploy law enforcement to remove the encampment from Parker Quad is among the most difficult I have had to make at any point in my career. We sought a path of compromise and collaboration and arrived in a space of hurt and distrust. We did not want to see this happen.
Now we must redouble our efforts to help find a path forward. One contribution we can make toward a healing process is to first actively listen to and learn from the many spoken and written concerns expressed in your communications during the past two days.
Here I want to share some points we would like to emphasize today:
- Our institution’s values and commitments around free expression have not changed. We will – we must – continue to support the right to free speech exercises that occur within the framework of public university regulations (including an appropriate demonstration that took place near the SUB just this afternoon).
- We are prioritizing the successful conclusion of our academic year, a time that is rightly constructed around celebrations of who our students are and what they have accomplished.
- Campus is peaceful and operational today, and classes are in session. This is such a crucial first step toward healing, and we are grateful to each and every member of our community for making this possible.
- All established campus policies remain in place and will be enforced. These include our unequivocal rejection of any hatred, bigotry, racism, intolerance, antisemitism, Islamophobia or violence on our campus. They also include regulations that were violated by the presence of tents on campus grounds and by the demonstrators' failure to disperse when given several official directives to do so. We again implore our entire community – not only students, but trusted faculty and staff as well – to familiarize themselves with these policies. Please work with us to avoid unproductive and hurtful incidents.
- We are in the process of reviewing the specific details of arrests and citations against members of our community.
- My personal commitment to acting as a good steward of this institution has not wavered. We seek your guidance, your recommendations, and your collaboration. I take ultimate responsibility for the decisions with which I have been entrusted.
I offer this message with intent to sustain and re-engage in frank and, undoubtedly, difficult dialogue that is the lifeblood of our institution. I am filled with gratitude for members of our community who share this intent and for all who are contributing their voices.
Darrell P. Wheeler
President
