Dear Colleagues,
Given the ongoing challenges around the world, the last few weeks have been particularly difficult for our university community and others across the nation. While we may each have different perspectives on global issues and their local manifestations, I think we can all agree that the associated stress is impacting everyone here, including our students.
As faculty, it is our responsibility to ensure that all students feel welcome and engaged in their classes and that instruction is not interrupted or encroached upon by partisan matters or current events unrelated to course content.
Unfortunately, some faculty have been receiving emails from students, asking them to cancel class as a means of demonstrating alignment with a political viewpoint. The students are probably not aware that doing so would run contrary to the faculty member’s foundational duties as an educator.
In this context, I invite you to take another look at Sr. AVC-AA Robert Continetti’s May 1 message to academic appointees regarding political advocacy, academic freedom, and the classroom, including specific aspects of university policies that apply to these matters.
After all, as academic members of a public institution of higher education, we must not only maintain our commitment to academic freedom and freedom of expression, but also prioritize public health and safety, our principles of community, our educational and academic mission, and established codes of conduct.
As we close out the last few weeks of the Spring quarter, I hope that you can find some time for reflection and renewal to carry you through a challenging time.
