Dear Members of the Barnard Community,
I write to share a new Policy for Safe Campus Demonstrations, which is now on our internal portal, home to all policies, and our external policies page. This policy is intended to protect the right to engage in campus demonstrations and ensure that demonstrations are conducted safely and do not interfere with the rights of others to speak, study, teach, learn, work, and live on our four-acre campus. Our small campus is not simply a place of learning and work; it is also a home for most of our students. With that in mind, it is our hope that this policy helps uphold our commitment to the freedom of expression while also ensuring that we promote a safe, respectful, and inclusive campus environment.
Arriving at this policy was a collaborative process; the College’s senior leadership committee worked with and reflected the viewpoints of many constituencies across campus, including faculty, staff, and student groups. We also reviewed the demonstration policies of several peer institutions to inform our approach.
The College will review this policy during the summer of 2024 based on experience during the spring semester of 2024. We will also continue to refine a mechanism for input and feedback from our community on this and future policies.
Sincerely,
Kelli Murray
Executive Vice President for Strategy and Chief Administrative Officer