Dear students, faculty, and staff,
As we begin our 154th year as a learning institution, we welcome new and returning members of our Hunter College community, where we embrace academic freedom and free expression while cultivating an educational environment that is safe and inclusive for all.
Holding dear such a combination of values is particularly important at a moment of global contentiousness, such as we are facing right now. Many of us at Hunter are experiencing trauma and suffering, whether directly or because we are connected to communities around the world that are in strife. It is not only natural, but healthy that many members of our Hunter College community are responding empathetically to these conditions through passionate advocacy for human rights and social justice. At the same time, we honor our mission as a public educational institution by holding fast to our commitment to intellectual discourse, civil dialog, and debate, while providing for the learning needs of our students and assuring that every member of our college community is valued and respected.
Consequently, it is important at this moment to make explicit that Hunter College affirms the rights of our campus community members to express themselves freely and assemble peacefully. Even as we may express differing viewpoints, we commit to doing so with equal measures of care, candor, and respect, mindful that freedom of expression and dissent exist in the context of civil rights guaranteeing that none of us may be excluded from the benefits of our educational environment on account of our identities. Protest or demonstration may proceed so long as neither force nor the threat of force is used, and so long as the college’s processes for functioning as an educational institution are not interrupted.
These principles are codified in the CUNY Rules and Regulations for Maintenance of Public Order (a.k.a., the “Henderson Rules”), including:
Each member of the academic community or an invited guest has the right to advocate their position without having to fear abuse, physical, verbal, or otherwise, from others supporting conflicting points of view (Henderson Rule No. 5)
In accordance with the Henderson Rules and our practices at Hunter College, the following remain in effect at all facilities operated by Hunter College:
- Peaceful protests and demonstrations (including marches, rallies, vigils, etc.) are permitted as long as the orderly processes of the institution are not obstructed (e.g., by causing undue interference with the rights of other members of the Hunter community to engage in academic and administrative work). The college reserves the right to restrict and/or address behaviors that are inconsistent with this expectation.
- Hunter may place limitations on the time, place, and manner of any speaker event, protest, or demonstration. Some examples include:
- Place: The college may designate specific areas for activities on campus to occur;
- Time: The college may restrict the length of time of an event if its continuation after a certain time would interfere with core educational or administrative functions of the college; and/or
- Manner: The college may restrict the placement or size of signage, and the use of amplified sound.
- Ingress to and egress from college facilities must remain free of obstruction, including entrances, exits, corridors, stairways, and doorways.
- Damaging college property or that of any person on our premises is prohibited.
We strongly encourage students planning demonstrations or events that relate to critical issues to reach out to Student Affairs leaders to ensure compliance with institutional processes and policies.
We encourage all members of the Hunter community to become familiar with the Henderson Rules, Hunter College’s Posting Guidelines, and the related disciplinary policies under Article XV of the CUNY Bylaws. Employees who engage in prohibited conduct are also subject to disciplinary actions as prescribed under collective bargaining agreements and/or CUNY policy. In cases in which conduct may violate the law, the college may take appropriate action, including seeking judicial remedies or referring the matter to external law enforcement authorities.
Students who have questions about rights and responsibilities under the Henderson Rules may contact the Director of the Office of Student Conduct, Colleen Barry at Cba0008@hunter.cuny.edu; faculty members may contact the Office of the Provost at provost@hunter.cuny.edu; staff members may contact Assistant Vice President of Human Resources Michelle Blackman at mb653@hunter.cuny.edu. Likewise, we encourage any member of our community who feels a need for support in navigating or processing the impact of the events of this contentious moment to reach out. If you are a student, you can contact Counseling and Wellness Services; faculty and staff members may contact the CUNY Employee Wellness Program. For more resources you can visit the Office of Diversity and Compliance website. Where applicable, faculty, staff, and students may also reach out to the Hunter College Senate at senate@hunter.cuny.edu.
We very much look forward to working throughout the year with all of you as we strive collectively to live up to the highest ideals of an intellectually vibrant and caring academic community.
Sincerely,
Nancy Cantor
President
Manoj Pardasani
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Eija Ayravainen
Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Gustavo Ordóñez
Vice President for Administration
