Dear L&C community,
I hope you were able to take some time during the break to rest, spend time with loved ones, and reflect on what you are thankful for. I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to lead this community of Lewis & Clark students, scholars, and professionals who do their best every day to teach, to mentor, to collaborate, to create, to learn, and to help each other thrive.
The fact that our community values supportive relationships and respect for one another makes it all the more disheartening when an event occurs that falls short of that commitment.
Earlier this semester, an approved student-created and student-led display to mark the second anniversary of the October 7 attack and to call attention to hostages who had not yet been returned home was repeatedly disrupted and vandalized. There were also confrontations between members of our community. These actions did not align with our policies or expectations as a community. When a member of our community, whether a student, faculty member, or staff person, violates college policies, we follow established policies and processes to investigate such actions. These processes provide opportunity for all parties to be heard and treat all persons fairly. If warranted, consequences are applied in an equitable manner. I am regularly kept informed about conduct allegations, cases, and outcomes and have confidence in the integrity, consistency, and impartiality of those processes, including the processes of these cases.
I want to affirm unequivocally that the college supports the rights of our community members to protest and express their views. Lewis & Clark policies, such as the Protest and Demonstration Policy, not only permit protest, they are meant to facilitate the ability of members of the college community to protest and to have their voices heard. For example, the college has supported a number of recent activities related to this issue that represent different points of view including a demonstration outside a recent Board of Trustees meeting. Protests and demonstrations are permissible and appropriate so long as they are non-obstructive and respectful of Lewis & Clark’s mission and the rights of other students, faculty, employees, and guests.
However, there is a critical distinction between freedom of expression and freedom from responsibility. Counter speech is welcome. Disruption, confrontation, or vandalism are not acceptable responses. To remain a community that values a diversity of experiences and perspectives, as well as fairness, it is vital that we continually work to cultivate an environment where mutual respect, effective communication, and accountability are the norm.
I want to acknowledge that there are those on our campus who are strongly impacted by the suffering of the Palestinian people. There are also community members who are strongly impacted by the suffering resulting from the October 7 attack. The impact our campus community members are experiencing is both real and painful.
These are challenging times. There is much to be troubled by, both in the wider world and closer to home. My focus remains on our community. Let us strive to be a campus where we take care of each other. It has never felt more urgent that we remain a place that values respectful engagement on important issues even, or especially, when we disagree.
Sincerely,
Robin H. Holmes-Sullivan
President
