Standing Together as a Campus Community
October 1, 2024
Dear Stony Brook Community:
As we move into October, we approach both the Jewish New Year and the anniversary of an attack that brought, and continues to bring, particular pain to Jewish people but also led to a war that is bringing significant suffering to the Palestinian, Israeli and so many other civilians in the Middle East.
The diverse nature of our Stony Brook community necessarily means our campus encompasses a broad range of views about those events, what caused them, and how they may be resolved. I believe that this diversity requires the university to remain institutionally neutral, so that these issues can be freely discussed and debated without concern that the university is putting its thumb on the scale, and so that all members of our community may continue to feel welcome and valued here.
Neutrality does not mean, however, that we should remain indifferent to the effects that these events are having on our community. Quite the contrary. It is important that we acknowledge the pain that our friends and colleagues are experiencing over the events in Israel and Gaza, particularly those who have family or other personal connections to the region. We must continue to embrace and support them even if we may not share their viewpoint.
In October and beyond, we can expect to see members of the Stony Brook community express their views about the war, as well as about the longstanding issues that underlie the conflict. Some of these views may be expressed in ways that are upsetting to others, but which are nevertheless protected by the First Amendment to our Constitution. At the same time, we will not tolerate any harassment of, or discrimination against, our students or any member of our campus community.
As a public university, we are committed to rigorously upholding our Constitution’s guarantees of free speech and peaceful assembly and to fulfilling our obligation under Title VI to provide an education that is free of harassment and discrimination. Moreover, because the university’s Title VI responsibility extends even to speech that may be protected, I encourage anyone who believes they have been subject to discrimination or harassment – including but not limited to antisemitism and Islamophobia – to report the incident so that it can be fully reviewed and responded to.
As an educational institution and a community of scholars, we reject antisemitism, Islamophobia, and bigotry of any kind. We ask that all members of our community speak and act with civility, with respect and compassion for each other, and with a willingness to consider the voices and viewpoints of others. I particularly hope that in this respect, our faculty and staff will set an example for our students.
I ask everyone to take action when a friend or colleague appears to be in distress. Support for our community during this time extends to care for mental and emotional health. Counseling and other mental health support is available to students through CAPS, 24/7 TimelyCare, and the Student Support Team and to employees through the Stony Brook Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Healthier U. I encourage anyone who believes they might benefit from those services to reach out for help. More information is available at stonybrook.edu/health and https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/eap/.
In the short time I have been at Stony Brook, I have been greatly impressed by the way in which the overwhelming majority of our community, including those who have been politically active on campus, have met these challenges. I have every confidence that will continue.
Thank you for all you do for Stony Brook.
Sincerely,
Richard L. McCormick
Interim President, Stony Brook University