An update on the response to the Inauguration demonstration, outlining the investigation and student conduct process, reaffirming ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½'s commitment to free expression, and introducing restorative efforts to support community healing.
Dear ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ Community:
Like many of you, we care deeply about our community and the well-being of our students. In light of queries and concerns raised about the incident at President Stritikus' Inauguration in April, we want to offer a brief update, clarify where things stand, and address some of the confusion and concern circulating in our community.
In the days after the Inauguration, the College engaged an outside investigator to provide an objective and thorough assessment of the evidence—including numerous video recordings, photographs, interviews, and other documents—and to prepare a detailed report and chronology. This was undertaken to ensure a complete review of available information before bringing charges against any individual. The executive summary of the investigation is available on the College’s website.
As we move forward, it's important to reaffirm the values that guide our campus. ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ fully supports students' right to express their views and engage in peaceful protest. We will continue to vigorously defend those rights as outlined in the Right to Dissent and Demonstration Policy, and are in the process of updating our policies to more affirmatively state the College’s commitments to free expression. However, the demonstration at Inauguration was not peaceful and fell far outside the boundaries of our policies. Individuals who are identified as having participated will have a chance to respond to the conduct charges through the normal student conduct process.
The purpose of our Student Code of Conduct is not to suppress dissenting voices, but instead to hold all students equally accountable for behavior that is inconsistent with ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½â€™s standards of conduct. The Code does not address the content of expressed beliefs or opinions; by law, it must remain content-neutral. However, it does address individuals’ conduct, including conduct that occurs in the course of expressive activities.
As outlined in the Code of Conduct, the Conduct Council hearing process includes:
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A formal hearing to review the facts and circumstances of each case,
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A determination or finding based on the evidence presented, and
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An appeals process through which students may seek a review of the outcome.
The goals of this process—as stated in the policy—are to promote accountability, ensure due process, and support the educational mission of the institution. To protect individuals’ privacy, information about any conduct proceedings will not be shared with the community.
Separate from the conduct process, we are creating opportunities for our community to engage in restorative conversations, and have already offered impact circles for staff. The restorative process is not meant to be a replacement for our existing policies, but rather to be an opportunity for our community to repair and heal after a disruptive event. The College has already begun offering dedicated spaces for dialogue and engaging in restorative practices for students, faculty, and staff as we continue to process these and other events in our community, and we will continue these efforts moving forward. As part of this work, we plan to offer appropriate restorative opportunities for students involved in the conduct process. Accountability is an important piece of any process to move a community forward after harm, and we engage with such processes in a spirit of empathy and respect.
We are grateful for the continued engagement of our community and for your care and concern for our students.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Leonard, Interim Vice-President of Academic Affairs & Dean of the College
Vivian Santiago, Vice President of Student Affairs & Dean of Students