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Dear campus community,

As a new semester begins, we want to greet those new to Binghamton and welcome back those who are returning to the University. We want to inform and remind you of two core principles that serve as essential elements of our community.

We are a campus community representative of a rich diverse, vibrant group of people, brought together from all corners of the globe to live, work and study together. Our vast and varied experiences allow us a tremendous opportunity to learn from others who are different, formulate enhanced research outcomes, express ideas and work together toward the common goals of providing a transformational, world-class education to students and a rewarding career for employees.

We must do so with civility and respect at the forefront.

Every member of the campus community has a unique perspective on their place in the world and must be allowed the space and the freedom to do so safely and respectfully. Our community thrives when we treat and respond to one another’s ideas with civility. 

This community, however, will not tolerate racism, hatred or bigotry. We will not tolerate attacks or incitement to violence of any kind on individuals or groups. This includes Islamophobia, antisemitism and threats or insults directed at individuals or groups based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ability status, political affiliation or other traits. 

Anyone who has experienced or witnessed an act of hate, bias or discrimination may submit a bias incident report. The University takes all incident reports seriously and investigates them thoroughly. The University Counseling Center (UCC), the Dean of Students Office and the CARE Team can also offer support. Anyone who needs immediate assistance can contact University Police at 607-777-2222.

We have a community that is strong because of its diverse perspectives and experiences. We are at our best when we foster a respectful, inclusive, equitable and welcoming environment and when all our voices are fully supported. 

Our best wishes for an enjoyable, safe, productive, civil and respectful semester.

Sincerely,

Donald Hall
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Karen Jones
Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We open the 2024-25 academic year excited about the future of ������Ƶ. We welcome thousands of new students and hundreds of new faculty and staff joining our community for the first time. They will bring new talents, interests and perspectives and join returning colleagues in a learning community unafraid to discover truth and explore solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. Indeed, our values call upon us to “encourage faculty, students and staff to ask unexpected questions, foster open dialogue and develop innovative solutions to important problems.” 

We also acknowledge that the 2024-25 academic year opens during intense political polarization related to international and domestic concerns. The purpose of this letter is to provide notice and clarity as to how our campus will remain faithful to our values while also maintaining a campus environment that supports the rights of all to pursue learning and discovery free of harassment, disruption and intimidation. The framework of our approach is to support and facilitate ample opportunity for expressive activity and campus dialogue around controversial ideas, while simultaneously establishing firm expectations that all such expressive activity must comport with university policies. Toward that end, we call your attention to the following:

1. We strongly encourage individuals and groups who plan to use ������Ƶ as a site for expressive activity to first review the Reservation Guidelines, contact the University Union Office and the New York State University Police. Our staff wants to assist you in ensuring your activity is successful and safe for all.

2. ������Ƶ, as with all SUNY campuses, are subject to the . Please be on notice that ������Ƶ will not hesitate to invoke the Rules and pursue the penalties for violations set forth therein. The Rules for the Maintenance of Public Order apply not only to students but to faculty, staff, organizations and unaffiliated individuals. We urge you to familiarize yourself with this policy before planning or engaging in any demonstration or protest, particularly the prohibited behavior listed in section 1.A.

3. ������Ƶ has established Posting and Chalking Policies. Please be on notice that the campus will fully uphold those policies. Students who willfully violate such policies may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.

4. ������Ƶ has an established policy governing Camping on Campus. Until further notice, we will not entertain exceptions to the policy, meaning the campus will not permit any form of “camping” as defined by the policy.

5. ������Ƶ policy also generally governs the Non-Credit Use of Campus Facilities in several other ways, including policies related to tabling, amplified sound and event scheduling. Please consult this policy as well prior to planning or participating in any expressive activity, protest or demonstration.

As acknowledged above, we intend not only to uphold our policies but to defend and promote our values. Campus staff and faculty are actively engaged in a number of initiatives to create contexts that support civil dialogue around controversial ideas within the boundaries of our policies. While not an exhaustive list, we note the following specific examples:

• Around 1,000 students will complete online and in-person workshops focused on building skills to engage in better conversations. UNIV/FYE, TRIO and Emerging Leaders Program are required to participate, and the program will be open to all students.
• Common Read Experience: This year, the Common Read, "I Never Thought of It That Way" by Monica Guzman, is focused on the theme of civil dialogue, and a series of programs related to this topic are planned, including a public debate and a visit by the author in February.
• Principles of Community: The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion facilitated the adoption of Principles of Community that will be visibly promoted on campus throughout the year.
• Beginning in Spring 2025, Student Dialogue Ambassadors will receive more advanced training on facilitating dialogue and will host conversations within their communities on campus.
• Civil Dialogue Teaching Fellows: The Fellows program will guide faculty in designing and implementing course content that facilitates student practice of civil dialogue. Fifteen faculty have been accepted into the inaugural cohort.
• Civil Dialogue Faculty Teaching and Research Grants: These grants will provide funding to support faculty-led teaching and research related to civil dialogue.

Without the right to express ideas — especially controversial ideas — education and discovery are limited, dialogue is restricted and our capacity to educate engaged citizens is compromised. For those reasons and our obligations as a public university to respect the First Amendment, we place a high value on freedom of expression, association and assembly. No right, however, is absolute. Binghamton will not permit protest and expression that disrupts the University’s academic mission, interferes with the free expression of others or threatens members of the campus community or campus property. We urge all of you to accept your responsibility to maintain a campus environment that respects those boundaries. In that way, we can be a model for other universities to follow through with our willingness to confront difficult questions in a community with the maturity and perspective to respect the rights of all to a supportive learning community.

Donald Hall
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Brian Rose
Vice President of Student Affairs

JoAnn Navarro
Vice President for Operations