A Message to the University Community
A Message from Dr. Donna E. Shalala, Interim President
The recent events on our campus have been difficult and upsetting and over the past several days, students, faculty and staff have raised a number of questions. While there are many things that we will want to work on together in the days ahead, here’s where we are today.
First, the university will not pursue criminal charges against the student protesters who were arrested on May 3. We have contacted and written a letter to the District Attorney requesting that all charges be dropped.
Second, all of our students have the right to due process, and we are making every effort to ensure that the conduct reviews for the student protesters are expedited. The Office of the Dean of Students has been scheduling appointments with each of the students, and we expect all or most of these reviews to be completed by the end of this week.
Third, Provost White, working with the Executive Deans, will soon be announcing a significant educational effort about investment principles and the history of divestment at The New School. In addition, the University Faculty Senate has asked that we reactivate and reconstitute the Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility to provide input to the Board of Trustees. The membership will again include two faculty, two students, and two staff, and we will contact the appropriate governing bodies to activate this process immediately.
Fourth, as you may be aware, members of NewSWU, the group representing our non-academic student workers, have been active supporters in some of the recent protests. We support their right to organize, and we have repeatedly told them that they can do so now. However, this group has petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to add their group of non-academic student workers to the SENS-UAW bargaining unit. The students continue to state their desire to merge with SENS-UAW, and this issue is pending with the NLRB. We are all awaiting the NLRB’s determination.
Finally, we maintain our unshakeable commitment to free speech and peaceful assembly and demonstration. These values are the bedrock of our university, and while you may observe the New York Police Department periodically patrolling the neighborhood near our campus, this is not at our request. The NYPD will not enter any university building without our consent.
I believe in this community’s ability to unite and seek common ground. And as a community we must hear and act for students who have been bullied, intimidated, subjected to hate speech—and as a result feel unsafe on our campus. All our students deserve our support and respect.
We all have a role in keeping our campus safe with respect for every member of our community and our academic mission.