Dear Colleagues,

With acts of hatred and violence continuing and even escalating throughout the world due to the conflict in Israel and Gaza, the entire university community is experiencing high levels of unease and anxiety about the well-being of loved ones and the future for the Middle East. Those who are directly affected, or who have family and friends affected, are likely experiencing far worse distress. 

These are difficult times for all of us—faculty, staff, administrators and, perhaps especially, our students. Students on all sides of this conflict are reaching out to say that they feel stressed, anxious and, in some cases, unsafe. The Dean of Students Office and other student-facing offices are doing all they can to reassure students of their safety, but this is an extraordinarily sensitive time. We are writing to ask that you pay particular attention to this in classroom and lab settings to ensure that all students and their views are treated with respect and sensitivity. To the extent possible within your course planning, please also consider flexibility with regard to test timing and assignment deadlines, as the deep concerns that some of our students are experiencing can interfere with their focus and concentration, making it difficult to meet course expectations. 

Thank you for all that you do to help our students during these difficult times.

Mark Kornbluh                                   Linda Beale

Provost                                              President, Academic Senate