Writings & Remarks

Advocacy Letter

Just as we modified the Fall 2020 academic calendar to limit campus community exposure to COVID-19 during the ongoing pandemic, Hamilton will similarly compress the Spring 2021 schedule while still providing a full semester of instruction. The calendar subcommittee of Academic Council carefully weighed the benefits and disadvantages of several options before proposing the final plan. The new schedule was approved by Academic Council and shared with the Academic Continuity Advisory Committee and Senior Staff.

Many of you have written to me to offer your ideas, describe your experiences, and share your frustrations with the pace of change at Hamilton. I have carefully reviewed every message, many of which have been distressing to read. They all reinforce the urgency and importance of the task ahead of us, and the need to develop new strategies to ensure an equitable and inclusive community.

I am writing with an update to my message on July 8. As a member of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, Hamilton College has joined an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit filed by Harvard and MIT challenging the forthcoming ICE SEVP rules regarding online study for international students.

Earlier this week, the federal government issued new guidelines to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which could seriously disrupt the education of our new and continuing international students studying with F-1 and M-1 visas this fall. As Allen Harrison shared in his note to the campus last night, international students will not be permitted to enter or remain in the United States if the colleges they attend teach all classes remotely. These new guidelines are alarming and unjustifiable, especially at a time when the world community is relying on the collective wisdom and commitment of all its citizens to address the unprecedented challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

The presidents of the New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium today issued a statement objecting to the Trump Administration’s recent actions limiting opportunities for international students and scholars on American college campuses. These actions include new restrictions in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program imposed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the suspension of the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program for skilled workers, through which colleges and universities hire faculty and postdoctoral scholars.

A Facebook video came to our attention this morning, showing someone who previously worked at the College as a contract employee of our food services provider making despicable racist slurs. I am appalled by what is on the video. He will not be employed here again and has been banned from our campus effective immediately. The behavior shown on the video is an extreme violation of our community standards and will not be tolerated. We will review our own and our contractors’ employee screening and training policies to be sure appropriate requirements are in place.

The start of fall classes is now just two months away, and I am pleased to report that we will reopen the campus for all who are able to join us safely. This semester will differ in many ways from any prior semester at Hamilton, but we look forward to providing the quality of education you expect from Hamilton in ways that protect the health and safety of our campus community and our neighbors in Clinton and the region.

Last week I announced that the College would establish a new advisory council to help create a more equitable and inclusive campus community. I am gratified that so many of you have offered to help and want to encourage you to share your suggestions and recommendations with me and members of the council. We must act decisively to ensure that every member of our community feels valued and can thrive. That is a top priority for me and for the College.

Today is Juneteenth, which commemorates the day African Americans enslaved in Texas 155 years ago learned of their freedom. Consistent with my message earlier this week, and in light of the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and many others, I encourage all members of our community to reflect on today’s significance and commit to taking action against racism and discrimination whenever and wherever we encounter it.