Message to the Campus

OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR

Dear CUNY Community,

The coming days will mark one year since the October 7 terrorist attack against Israel that triggered war in the Middle East, destruction and displacement in Gaza, and turmoil that continues to reverberate and divide people around the world. It is a sobering milestone in a conflict that has taken tens of thousands of innocent lives and left families of hostages in agony.

This difficult year has been painful for many among our CUNY community who have personal connections to the conflict or who hold deeply felt convictions about the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In some ways, the conflict has touched us all, bringing tensions and division to many colleges and universities at a time when we are also in the final stretch of a polarizing presidential campaign.

As students, faculty, staff and administrators at a public university that prizes its vast diversity, we all must aspire and strive to sustain a community that welcomes people of all backgrounds, beliefs and views. We must re-commit to embracing empathy and fostering respectful and constructive dialogue with those with whom we may disagree and to rejecting hate, prejudice and stereotyping. Nothing is more foundational to our educational mission than learning from each other, from our experiences and from history to open our minds as well as our hearts. Each of us has a part in building a compassionate community of learning and inquiry where everyone has the right to speak and be heard — the right to persuade but not to impose. 

Expanding Anti-Hate Efforts

To advance that mission, this fall CUNY is expanding our ongoing anti-hate efforts with the addition of professional development opportunities for faculty and employees, particularly on navigating difficult conversations on our campuses. Over the summer, we announced the creation of a Center for Inclusive Excellence and Belonging, which will leverage systemwide resources, oversee training, strengthen reporting and bring consistency in our approach across our 25 campuses. We also launched Our CUNY; Hate Divides Us, Diversity Defines Us, a student-developed unity campaign that celebrates who we are and provides support for creating campus environments that embrace the full breadth of CUNY’s diversity. And we will be conducting a systemwide campus climate survey to assess students’ perceptions of issues surrounding inclusivity and discrimination. These University-wide measures are in addition to the many programs and initiatives our campuses have implemented over the past few years.

For these initiatives to be effective, we must start from a place of respect, empathy and true curiosity. Like universities across the country, CUNY has experienced peaceful protest and constructive debate but also conduct on some campuses that crossed the lines of permissible expression and that has divided our community. No matter how resolute members of our community may be in their views, debate cannot turn into derision. When those of a particular identity or affinity are demonized for events far from home, expression starts to cross into intimidation and harassment.

The conflict and tensions of last spring may persist but make no mistake: We are a university that is committed to open expression and the right to protest, but we have zero tolerance for antisemitism, Islamophobia or hate of any kind. And we are committed to enforcing University regulations and policies to ensure that our campuses remain safe, accessible and welcoming to everyone.

We urge students who need help coping to seek the support of counselors at the health and wellness centers on all CUNY campuses. You can find complete information by visiting the CUNY Mental Health Services webpage. Faculty and staff may reach out to CCA@YourService or call CUNY’s confidential employee assistance program provider at 800-833-8707.

The one-year anniversary of the conflict comes as Jewish members of our community are celebrating the High Holy Days. In the spirit of renewal of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, I ask members of the CUNY community of all faiths and beliefs to draw closer to each other, with care and empathy for those grieving for friends and loved ones who have been killed or wounded in Gaza, Israel, and throughout the region or are still being held hostage.

Let us join together in honoring the memory of those who have lost their lives, as well as the dignity and humanity of every member of our community, by hoping for peace in the Middle East and striving for dialogue and compassion here at home.

Sincerely,

Félix V. Matos Rodríguez
Chancellor