Dear Hunter College community members,
Along with the sense of eager anticipation of new possibilities that comes with the start of every new semester, this spring, many members of our Hunter family are anxious about the impacts of federal policy changes that are rapidly unfolding. Regardless of background, we may feel this directly or indirectly, but we know that students, faculty, and staff who are members of immigrant families, members of our LBGTQ+ community, or connected through family and friends or culture and faith to global conflicts may feel particularly anxious right now.
As a college community that from its very founding has been a haven of educational opportunity for New Yorkers of every background — and has strived to live up to that aspiration in every generation — whenever any member of the Hunter family is made to feel anxious on account of their identity, it is important for them to hear from all of us: We see you and we are with you.
Likewise, scholars working on national grants focused on equity, as well as all of us who have committed our careers to promoting diversity, inclusion, and belonging are anxious about announced or foreshadowed federal policy shifts.
I don’t think it should go without saying at a moment like this that Hunter College’s reason for being has not changed — that we have been, are, and will proudly remain an engine of social mobility for New Yorkers, an engine of innovation and creativity across our disciplines, and an anchor institution in our community. Also unchanged are longstanding policies to protect the right to privacy when individuals from outside Hunter are seeking information about students, faculty, or staff; our Public Safety and Student Affairs staffs have strict protections and protocols in place to maintain privacy in observance of the law. Individuals from outside Hunter who appear in person looking for a member of our community should be asked immediately to contact Public Safety at (212) 772–4444.
This is also a moment when we should all become more aware of the campus and CUNY resources available to provide support and guidance, as well as intellectual engagement with the relevant underlying issues.
In that spirit, I encourage all members of the Hunter family to become familiar with resources such as the following:
- Immigrant Student Success Center
- CUNY Office of Undocumented and Immigrant Student Programs
- Office of International Student Services
- LGBTQ Policy Center at Roosevelt House
Likewise, students may find support mutually and from Student Affairs professionals through the Affinity Spaces on the third floor of Thomas Hunter Hall. An open invitation is extended to all students to visit these spaces. Questions about connecting here may be directed to the Dean of Students at deanstud@hunter.cuny.edu.
If you or someone you know could benefit from talking to a professional about processing feelings in the shifting cultural climate, please keep in mind our Counseling Services for students and CUNY Work/Life for faculty and staff.
If you are a scholar concerned about the possibility that your sponsored research will be affected by policy changes, please reach out to Provost Manoj Pardasani.
I hope you also will consider our ongoing series on Promoting Civil Discourse and Intellectual Dialogue a relevant resource. These events provide opportunities for us to learn together and strengthen our ties to each other.
Most importantly, this is also a moment for us to show empathy and compassion toward one another, bringing our most capacious selves to our campus community, while at the same time rededicating ourselves to bending the arc of our academic and professional lives toward making the world a more kind and more just place for all.
I wish you all good things for the new semester.
In solidarity,
Nancy Cantor
President
