The beginning of the academic year is a time when we are reminded of the uniqueness of our UConn community. We are proud that UConn is increasingly a place where people desire to learn about and appreciate the diverse backgrounds of all of our students, which increases with every entering class.
As a result, we must continually seek to provide a welcoming environment where every voice and every perspective is heard.
As a university community, we must embrace the expression of varied opinions while also insisting that expression occur in an environment of mutual respect. The exchange of ideas that occurs throughout our community creates an infectious spirit of dialogue that is necessary – and welcome - at UConn. It is only through dialogue that we can grow, increase awareness, and inspire change in a complex world.
As such, the University is committed to providing forums that encourage dialogue and discovery.
On September 12 at 6pm the University, led by Student Affairs and the newly established Office for Diversity and Inclusion will be hosting an Open Forum entitled “What’s on Your Mind” in Room C80 of the Information Technology Building. The following rooms will be utilized at the Regional Campuses: Avery Point-Room MS103; Waterbury-Room 324; Stamford-Room 317A; Hartford-Room UG126; Law School-Starr Hall, Room 204.
“What’s on Your Mind” is intended to create a space to bring students together following a summer filled with challenging national events around race, bias and gun violence, to express their thoughts and the impact these events continue to have on our ability to come together as a community. It is also another opportunity for UConn staff members to listen and participate as they continually work to support all members of the campus community through sometimes challenging issues. We hope that you will come out to share at this important event in a series that will allow us to examine these issues more holistically during the course of the academic year.
While free expression is important in having productive dialogue, the University acts when harm occurs to valued members of our community. In January of 2015, the University developed its Bias Response Protocol to support students who experience an incident that either is or appears to be bias-related. Too often, for example, students are deeply affected by graffiti on a residence hall door or comments made in a hallway. Those cases must be addressed through UConn’s Student Code of Conduct, UConn Police, or restorative conversations within the impacted community.
Students are encouraged, but not required, to report incidents that appear to be bias-related to the campus online. Following the report of an incident, the University will engage with the impacted community as well as notifying Community Standards and UConn Police. In most cases, responses occur within 24 hours of notification.
UConn is committed to being one of the world’s leading institutions by encouraging the expression of ideas within a highly diverse community of scholars and students. This is critical work if we are to produce new knowledge and transform the world our graduates will encounter. Yet it is also our responsibility to support those who are targeted or harmed by hurtful language or actions. We welcome the voices of our students in this important work, and we look forward to another successful academic year.
Best,
Eleanor JB Daugherty Joelle Murchison
Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Associate Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer
Division of Student Affairs Office for Diversity and
For more information, contact: Student Affairs at 860-486-2265