Rutgers during War

March 23, 2003

Members of the Rutgers Community:

As we return from spring break, our community is confronted by the reality of war now being waged by our country and its allies against Iraq. The events of the past week and of the weeks and months to follow are historic. Their outcome will have a profound impact on our country and our world. Whatever opinions or feelings each of us holds regarding this war, I ask that you join me in supporting the members of our military forces and hoping for their safe return. They and their families, who include many New Jerseyans as well as our own students and alumni, have given up their safety and comfort to serve our nation. Their sacrifice merits our gratitude.

These turbulent times also provoke intense responses and wide-ranging emotions across the multiple social and political spectrums that comprise our country. As a diverse, politically engaged community, Rutgers proudly reflects these many perspectives. We must continue our tradition of encouraging the free exchange of ideas, and providing a forum for debate and dialogue. In the coming weeks, Rutgers will likely have teach-ins, rallies and demonstrations representing a range of views. Our faculty, deans, and administrators are working to ensure that all voices can be heard in the peaceful exercise of our right to free expression.

We must remain respectful of each other and of our differences as we grapple with our personal feelings and views about the war and related issues. As I have stated previously, we must guarantee the freedom of all members of our community to express their views without fear of suppression, reprisal, or harm. For our students, the classroom is a privileged and ideal venue for debate and the exchange of ideas. Over the coming weeks, many faculty members will have discussions of the war in their classes. I urge students to listen and to participate. As an academic community, we welcome this opportunity to be intellectually engaged in this historic moment.

With war come concerns about safety and security on our campuses. The country is currently on "orange alert," signifying a high level of potential threat to Americans. Rutgers takes this situation extremely seriously. Our Public Safety personnel along with administrators are working continually to ensure the security of our classrooms, laboratories, offices, residence halls, and recreational and athletic facilities. Our emergency management plan is reviewed regularly, and you will receive communications as needed should there be any type of emergency requiring notification. Our Study Abroad program is in close contact with our students overseas, and is guiding them in maintaining their safety.

To help you quickly access resources available through the university, we have developed a page on the Rutgers Web site located at: http://ruweb.rutgers.edu/emergencyresources with links to a wide variety of information and services, including emergency management, counseling and teaching tools for faculty. Please read and bookmark this page as a useful reference. The Rutgers–Newark Web site located at: http://rutgers-newark.rutgers.edu/ and the Rutgers–Camden Web site located at: http://camden-www.rutgers.edu/ contain additional information specifically for those campuses.

This still new century has brought complex events and changes with intense reactions across our community, our nation and the world. Despite the enormity of these challenges, I am confident that our sense of community here at Rutgers will enable us to transcend the turbulence and maintain the rights and dignity of us all.

Richard L. McCormick
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey