Dear Wayne State community, 

With the return of in-person operations this morning, let me take this opportunity to reaffirm that Wayne State University is fundamentally a place of learning and inquiry, grounded in our values of collaboration, integrity, innovation, diversity and inclusion, excellence, and leadership. 

On Thursday, the university leadership team continued to engage in direct dialogue with groups throughout our campus community. These meetings, grounded in WSU’s well-established shared governance framework, included the Academic Senate Policy Committee, academic deans of all 13 schools and colleges, vice presidents, academic advising, student success, and other Academic Affairs staff and leaders who directly serve students, as well as our Board of Governors. In turn, university leadership is connecting with faculty and staff in their schools, colleges and divisions for further conversations.  

The conversations with representative stakeholders through established university processes will continue today and always, reflective of how we, as a university community, share ideas, gather and assess information, learn together, and make decisions for our future. Wayne State’s existing inquiry-based processes intentionally incorporate the voices of the many stakeholders in organized, thoughtful consideration to move forward in an informed and deliberative manner. 

Below is information on common themes that emerged from Thursday’s conversations.

• There were approximately 30 individuals in the encampment when warnings were announced and the majority decided to leave peacefully. There were 12 individuals who were arrested at the encampment site or at nearby protest incidents following dispersal; 6 are students at WSU.
• In the coming weeks, additional security personnel from City Shield will continue to help ensure our campus remains safe and accessible. These personnel are easily identifiable in blue jackets and blue and white vehicles. They are not sworn police officers, do not engage directly with individuals, and will notify WSUPD when needed. The same firm has worked WSU athletic events, and they are familiar with our campus.
• Wayne State University will always support the right of our students, faculty, and staff to protest and exercise their rights to free speech, expression, and worship. Protests and any other events on our campus are expected to follow long-established university policies, processes, and procedures for reservations and appropriate use. We will not allow actions or conduct that limit access to our campus, disrupt operations, damage or remove property, or other impermissible conduct. 

Today, I received from Hayden Johnson, president of WSU’s Student Senate, a response to the encampment at Wayne State University. I appreciate their shared commitment to ongoing dialogue. Hayden is a member of our University Leadership Council, chaired by Provost Clabo, which is one important mechanism for mutual dialogue amongst university and student leadership. Along with the Provost and other Academic Affairs leadership, I look forward to continuing to engage student senate leadership, our many registered student organizations and others to discuss, understand and consider these matters. 

In addition, over the coming days, the Office of Multicultural Student Engagement (OMSE) will host several Student Listening Sessions.  

• June 4 at noon
• June 5 at noon and 4:30 p.m.
• June 11 at noon
• June 25 at noon

All sessions will have in-person and virtual options. Further details and a link to join will follow from OMSE. 

The expression of diverse viewpoints in the ongoing dialogues as part of our shared governance framework can be challenging, though, and the pace of resulting change can be seen as slow. The fundamental benefit of our approach as a research university is the deliberate reflection of our collective intent. Through our processes, we reaffirm our commitment to our mission of creating and advancing knowledge, preparing a diverse student body to thrive, and positively impacting local and global communities.   

Sincerely, 

Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy 
President