An Open Letter from President Bateman

President Bradley W. Bateman has issued the following open letter to the campus community:

During the last few days, there has been widespread uncertainty and confusion created by the President’s Executive Order banning all new refugees and visitors from seven predominantly Muslim countries. As I am sure you have read, students at other universities have been turned away at our borders or not allowed to board planes to return to the United States for the spring semester. Likewise, faculty and artists have been turned away at the border or denied boarding in their countries of origin. Fortunately, we do not appear to have anyone who is unable to join us for this semester.

As I write, we find ourselves in a rapidly changing environment. The full extent of how the Executive Order will affect us is unknown. Likewise, the full extent of the legal challenges to the order is not yet clear. While we do not know all the consequences of the Executive Order on faculty, staff, and students, we are reaching out to those who we think are most likely to be affected.

Any students who have questions about how the Executive Order may affect them should contact Nancy Goulde. Any member of the faculty or staff who has questions about their status should contact Sharon Saunders. I want to assure everyone in the community that we will not provide information to anyone outside the College about nationality or visa status unless we are required to do so by law.

Perhaps most important of all, I want to reiterate to the community that the President’s Executive Order has not changed anything about who we are or how we do business. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or political beliefs. We remain a close-knit community in which every person is respected for their full human dignity. As events continue to unfold, we will remain vigilant and concerned for one another and work to help those most affected by the changes that are happening.