August 26, 2024: Preparing for the Fall Semester: Community Values and Policies

May 17, 2024 email from President Sarah Bolton to campus regarding preparing for the fall semester: community values and policies:

Dear Whitman College Community,

I write to you as we prepare to begin the fall semester together. This semester holds tremendous promise because of the extraordinary students, staff and faculty who make up our community, and the excellent work that you do. It is also a particularly complex time, as we approach a highly contested U.S. presidential election amidst several international crises with terrible loss of life, including the wars in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Sudan. Over the past eleven months, many college and university communities have struggled with profound concerns, as well as divisions, related to the devastating war in Israel, Gaza and the surrounding region.

As we gather for the new academic year, I would like to lift up the values that we share at Whitman College, and to discuss some of the policies and practices that help our community uphold these values in complex times. Our shared values include freedom of expression, academic freedom, inclusive excellence, non-discrimination, freedom from harassment, and learning in a welcoming community. These values underlie Whitman’s academic strength and mission, and in these difficult times they are more important than ever.

While the College can not (by law) take partisan positions on candidates or elections, and also does not hold positions regarding international conflicts, the current elections and global issues are extremely important. I encourage each of us to engage with them by learning deeply, attending talks and discussions on campus, voting if eligible to do so, and communicating with those who craft relevant policy as we see fit. I also ask that everyone recognize the personal impact of these matters for many in our community, and that we each act with respect and care for those around us - honoring the dignity of each person, including those with whom we may disagree.

Learning is strongest when a wide range of views intersect in a vibrant exchange of ideas, and Whitman College is committed to providing an environment where such exchange flourishes. Learning in community also depends on treating one another with integrity, compassion and respect, and creating an environment that is free of harassment and discrimination, and we are equally committed to those ideals. As stated in the student handbook “The college assumes that students will demonstrate honesty and integrity in both academic and personal endeavors, and will act responsibly in ways that reflect consideration and respect for the rights of others.” The student handbook also states the rights of students, including “Every student has a right to conditions that are conducive to learning and favorable to the pursuit of higher education. These rights include freedom of speech, expression, and association; the right to study; the right to a safe and healthy environment; the right to pursue grievances; reasonable and fair processes in cases of student discipline; and the right to privacy.”

The College has a number of policies which are relevant to advocacy and protest. These policies are linked here, along with some important examples to respond to questions we’ve received about how the policies are applied. Our policies seek to protect the rights and safety of all students, staff and faculty, as well as to sustain the learning mission of the college, and we are committed to upholding them.

Over the past year, students and faculty with a variety of viewpoints have asked that we reconsider our existing policies to ensure they are meeting our goals. The Committee on Student Affairs is taking up these questions over the course of the fall semester, and will solicit input from the community as it considers possible ways our policies may be improved, before making recommendations. I am grateful to them for this important work and to all of you for your engagement with it.

The challenges in our world make clear the need for the kind of education that Whitman offers - a superb education that takes place in a global community and that prepares students to think deeply, to research thoroughly, and to learn from and work together with those whose opinions, identities, nationalities, faiths and life experiences may be different from their own. My thanks to all of you for the part you play in that learning, and for all the ways you take learning into action, to build a better future for everyone.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bolton, President