To the Drew University Community,
As this academic year, arguably a highly tumultuous time for higher education, comes to a close, I am proud that Drew University has continued to be a place where thoughtful engagement with the world beyond its campus has intersected with the vibrancy and diversity of our community, and where free speech and community action coexist in an environment of mutual respect.
At Drew, we uphold academic freedom and ensure all members of our community are able to engage in discussion of difference and dissent, respectfully and ethically. We are living, learning, and working in a time with complex and polarizing issues happening on our campus, in our country, and around the world. The tragedies in Israel and Gaza will have a lasting impact on us all, altering the fabrics of our global society. Our responsibility at Drew is to provide opportunities for students to gain the tools needed to live in the discomfort around them and respond to current and future geopolitical conflicts.
As the University’s President, I want to reiterate what we have shared throughout the past months: Drew University unequivocally condemns antisemitism and other discrimination based on shared ancestry and we are committed to ensuring students of shared Jewish ancestry feel welcome and safe on campus. All members of our community must work to condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other discrimination based on religion or shared ancestry. We commit to ensuring our students of any religion, or who have a shared ancestry as Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, and Hindu feel welcome and safe on campus. It is essential for us all to seek information from sources with integrity, vet and identify sources when citing, and differentiate factual information from opinions.
Verbal or physical conduct that demeans or shows hostility, even if not directed at a particular individual, violates our Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment and other policies found in our Student Handbook. This includes speech and actions towards individuals with shared cultural ancestry, race, and other social identities that incites violence or physical and/or emotional harm. We remind everyone in the Drew community that your words and actions, including those on social media, have an impact and affect those around you. For example, a rallying cry to some may be heard as a direct threat to others.
We recognize that our students who live in or have ties to world regions where conflict is impacting daily life and survival also receive our commitment to ensure that they feel safe and welcome on campus. Whether the region is Israel, Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Haiti, Ukraine, or others, there are resources available to students throughout the campus. You can learn more about resources by contacting your Dean’s Office or the Office of Campus Life and Student Affairs.
Throughout this year, there have been a variety of educational and other programs sponsored by our University centers, academic departments and student clubs and organizations. Additionally, as seen as recently as last week, all of our students have the right to peaceful assembly on our campus as guided by our policies.
We review and update our policies and practices on a routine basis. We recently conducted a review of our posting policy and on April 19 provided an opportunity to provide feedback on the policy. At the beginning of the fall semester we will share updates to our Harassment policy, which will more clearly define timelines and the process for responding to reported incidents. Through a regular review of our investments, the University’s trustee investment committee and the outside firm that manages our endowment funds for performance and fund allocation, have confirmed that Drew has no direct investment exposure to companies domiciled in Israel. As there continue to be requests for statements from the University or the President’s Office, additional transparency around our practices regarding University and Presidential statements will be shared as we will continue to focus any communication on issues with direct impact to our students and immediate community.
Guided by our mission, we are proud that students are pushed to think critically about the urgent challenges of our time with rigorous, independent, and imaginative thought. And, as a community we must continually commit to fostering an environment that is inclusive, diverse, and free from discrimination of any kind.
With my most sincere wishes for a peaceful and restorative end of semester and summer for all,
Hilary L. Link, Ph.D.
President