As is happening on college campuses across the country, members of the Colgate community have been reacting to and discussing the outcome of the presidential election and subsequent events. The university has responded in a variety of ways: to channel the energy of dialogue to productive places; to provide support and resources to students in need and to take steps to ensure the security of all; and to remind the community of our values and expectations for behavior.
On Monday evening (11/14), a series of election-related comments made by student members of the Colgate Republicans, using the GroupMe app, was obtained by other students and published on Facebook. GroupMe is a text messaging app similar to Facebook Messenger.
The content of the texts — regarding the national election and its aftermath, including responses on campus, and widely considered inflammatory and offensive — elicited a flood of comments on a variety of social media platforms.
President Brian W. Casey and Mark Thompson, interim dean of the college, sent the messages below to students, faculty, and staff to acknowledge the situation; state the university’s values and expectations for behavior based on civility, thoughtfulness, and constructive dialogue; and indicate ways to facilitate a productive path forward.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 11:22 a.m.
To members of the Colgate community:
In the last 12 hours, we have become aware of a barrage of social media posts, across a variety of platforms, that convey strong feelings regarding this past Tuesday’s national election and its aftermath.
I write to let the campus know that we are aware of the significant upset being experienced by members of our community as a result of these exchanges.
Providing a productive response to this complicated situation will take time. Whatever our individual political leanings, we are best served as a community by civility, thoughtfulness, and constructive dialogue.
We will thoughtfully consider how to best process this as a community and another message with more specifics will be forthcoming soon. For now, I want to remind us all of the importance of engaging with one another respectfully, even when we don’t agree, and I ask that we not add to the vitriol.
Respectfully,
Mark D. Thompson
Interim Vice President and Dean of the College
Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 2:59 p.m.
Dear Members of the Colgate Community,
As most on this campus—and many off campus—know, last night a series of “GroupMe” comments made by some Colgate students were obtained by other students and published on Facebook. Many of the reposted comments were appalling and deeply disappointing. Several of the statements expressed in these texts—calling for the disruption of certain classes, bragging about efforts to upset students within classes, targeting specific groups of students, among other things—cut to the core of our mission and are fully unacceptable.
I understand—and respect—that people wish to respond, or have responded, to the original texts and comments with fervent disagreement and dismay. I also understand that those whose texts were reposted on Facebook have been subject to profound public criticism. This is a day of deep emotion and concern for many on this campus.
To ensure that we have an environment in which all can work securely and productively, some immediate and concrete steps must be taken. We must support those members of our community who feel threatened. To that end, I will ask the Office of the Dean of the College to take all available steps to make sure every student on this campus feels secure in their surroundings. An email from that office will be sent regarding these steps. I have also asked the Dean’s Office to work with all students and student groups involved in this situation and consider appropriate actions in accordance with all university policies.
But some steps are more challenging. Our nation is extraordinarily divided now. People on all sides of the political spectrum share nothing so much as a lack of faith in our ability to come together in constructive dialogue to address the issues that face us. It is difficult for any divided community to come together. But that is why what we do here is so important. A strong university must be a model of reasoned discourse, informed analysis, and a concern for all members of a shared community.
We do not always live up to this responsibility. The best answer to this shortcoming, though, is to steer towards constructive engagement, deeply reasoned debate, and thoughtful dialogue in our classrooms, in our residence halls, in our social media postings, and in our encounters with each other across this campus every day. I ask that we begin this important work, together—even in these days of very heightened emotions.
I want to close by saying that the Office of the Dean of the College will work with any student group, or any individual student, that wishes to speak about these issues, or who has been harmed, or fears harm, from these events. Please reach out to them, and to each other, as we continue to unpack this situation and strive to move forward.
Most sincerely,
Brian W. Casey
President
Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.
Dear students,
Earlier today, you heard from President Casey and me about the impact of social media posts on members of our community. I write to offer some follow-up information and thoughts.
Some people may desire immediate action; that said, we look to our university code of student rights and responsibilities, code of student conduct and campus policies as we move forward. The relevant part of the code of student rights and responsibilities follows:
Pursuit of a liberal education requires an atmosphere conducive to the full and free expression of opinion; responsive membership in the Colgate University community also requires a respectful awareness of individual and group sensibilities…. The university condemns statements, symbols, and actions which denigrate or ridicule an individual or group because of race, religion, ethnicity, sex, or sexual orientation, when such statements, symbols, and actions clearly serve no educational purpose.
Colgate’s code of conduct applies to all current Colgate students, whether on campus or off, and including online behavior having an impact on the campus community.
The code of conduct states: Colgate expects that its students will not lie, steal, cheat, or engage in dishonest or unlawful behavior; behavior that damages University property, the personal property of another individual, or public property; or any other behavior intended to inflict physical or emotional harm on oneself, another person, or the community. Colgate students must abide by University policies and procedures and comply with directions of University officials acting in performance of their duties.
Finally, the university’s equity grievance policy also prohibits conduct such as bias-related discrimination and harassment, as defined in the policy.
We have disciplinary processes designed to address allegations of violations of the code of conduct and other university policies. Reports of alleged violations can be made in person at campus safety or online. All reports will be reviewed and investigated as warranted; if appropriate, disciplinary hearings and/or other applicable processes may occur. In addition, students can report abusive content directly to the social media platforms on which the posts appear; for example Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Yik Yak.
Every member of the community deserves to have a sense of security on campus. Should you feel unsafe, we encourage you to be in contact with any of the following resources:
- For student groups, contact your organization’s adviser;
- For students in residence, contact your CL or assistant director of residential life; and
- All students can contact their administrative dean or the Campus Safety department at x7333.
For after-hours emergency situations, contact Campus Safety, who can connect you to the administrative dean or counselor on call.
In the next several days, I will be reaching out to members of the community who can help in facilitating constructive conversations, addressing this complex issue once we return from the Thanksgiving break and into the spring semester.
Interim Vice President and Dean of the College
Mark D. Thompson
Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at 9:14 a.m.
Dear students,
Welcome back to campus. I hope you had a restorative break and feel rested and prepared as we head into the final weeks of the semester.
The days leading up to the Thanksgiving break were difficult for many in our community. The outcome of the contentious presidential election created a heightened sense of vulnerability for some, with postings in social media contributing to strong emotions across the campus. These events deserve our continued and thoughtful attention.
Many feel uncertain about the future. Others feel unable to share their beliefs without being ostracized. It is important to note that social media can be a useful tool for sharing ideas and a platform for expressing one’s deeply held beliefs. But it also can be a vehicle that can widen divides.
We strive to be an academic community that allows for differences of opinion in an environment of mutual respect. We must, therefore, find constructive ways to engage with one another around challenging issues and conflicting views. We have less than three weeks remaining in this semester. It will take far longer than that to make meaningful progress, but I hope we can turn toward one another and commit to beginning this work.
How to start? After consulting with a number of community members, I’d like to offer the following:
Between now and the end of this semester:
- A forum to offer suggestions for ways we can work through these challenges, scheduled for this Thursday, Dec. 1, at 5:00 p.m. in 101A McGregory. I will serve as host.
- You can send send suggestions directly to me at mdthompson@colgate.edu. Students can also pass along suggestions through their CLs.
Upon returning to campus in January:
- Community members trained in the Intergroup Dialogue approach will facilitate constructive conversations addressing issues underlying the recent conflict and how they are expressed.
- We will reinstitute the Breaking Bread program, which brings together groups that might not normally engage with one another to prepare and share a meal, providing a chance for more relaxed interaction. (The costs for the meal will be covered by my office.)
- A student-led forum to discuss productive interaction when we have strong feelings and don’t agree.
- Several programs planned for the Martin Luther King, Jr. week celebration addressing issues raised duirng the election and our recent campus conflicts.
- Enhanced bystander intervention training focused on skill development.
When we come together to address the issues and dynamics that cause hurt and conflict, we increase our chances of having the kind of community we strive for at Colgate. I hope you will join me in this challenging and important undertaking.
Sincerely,
Mark D. Thompson
Interim Vice President and Dean of the College
