The following update was issued on November 9, 2023. Please visit our Well-Being, Safety, and Campus Events page for the latest University guidance and campus protocols.
As a nationally recognized research university that welcomes students from all over the world, the community of the University of Rochester reflects the many viewpoints, perspectives, lived experiences, and political ideas that exist in our increasingly global society.
As related in a November 9 story in the New York Times, the nation’s campuses have been a focal point for much of the debate and discussion resulting from the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East, and it has been happening here at Rochester. However, so far, the activities taking place on our campus have been orderly. We have not seen the incidents of vandalism, property damage, or physical injuries that have taken place elsewhere in the country. We’re thankful for that, and we expect all members of the University community to commit to making sure that remains the case.
Today (November 9) on the University’s River Campus, members of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) organized the latest in a series of events in which speakers and those gathered expressed their support for Palestinians living in Gaza. They also shared their hopes that the United States as well as other countries and organizations will exert diplomatic pressure to relieve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. After reminding all students of our policies for such protests, we allowed the protest to proceed because today’s organizers adhered to the requirements with a few exceptions. We appreciate that the organizers and those gathered responded to the University’s concerns. To the extent there were a few significant policy violations, we believe those can be addressed adequately through educational efforts and disciplinary action if necessary. At the same time, we will continue to seek ways to improve the University’s ability to respond to these situations.
As a community devoted to the pursuit of truth through open debate, discussion, and dialogue, we recognize that the right to peacefully protest and freely express passionately held convictions is an essential tenet of our University’s Meliora values. However, our policies make clear that those sentiments must be presented with the understanding that everyone in our community feels safe and secure being on campus. We have asked all students to be mindful of how they express their views with an understanding that while they have a right to express themselves, they do not have a right to expect anyone else to agree with them or to feel comfortable with what they say.
As we evaluate such events going forward, we reserve the right to review our policies, practices, and our codes of conduct accordingly. Our top priority is the safety of our students, faculty, staff, patients, prospective students who are visiting campus, and other members of our community as they study, live, work, and pursue their educational goals on campus.
We do so while seeking a balance: the rights of peaceable and constructive assembly and the rights of all members of our University community to be free to engage in their activities without interference. As our policies evolve, we will update the University community accordingly.
We will continue to find ways for our community to engage one another with understanding, compassion, and respect.