Supporting our community with compassion

Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon University Community: 

Today, we write to echo the sentiments in President Farnam Jahanian’s recent community messages related to the war in Israel and Gaza. While it is impossible to comment on every heartbreaking development in this conflict, we recognize that many members of our community are hurting and afraid. Amid a rise in hate worldwide, we also recognize that we at CMU are not immune to acts of intolerance — including some reports of Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Arabism and other forms of bias. Let us be clear: There is absolutely no place on our campuses for any form of hate or prejudice.

The safety and well-being of our community is paramount to cultivating a culture where each of us can thrive at CMU. To this end, we have created a brief document that identifies select resources and support options for students, faculty and staff during this time. CMU leadership, including Student Affairs, has been engaging with members of our community daily and meeting with student government and leaders of student organizations. These meetings have enabled us to better understand our campus climate and take concrete actions to support our community. And, as part of an ongoing effort to prioritize the safety and well-being of our campus community members, CMU Police have enhanced their presence across campus and stand ready to offer their de-escalation skills. 

In addition to these steps, we recently launched the Campus Climate and Bias Reporting Protocol — a new CMU community resource for centralized reporting and addressing alleged bias incidents. If you see inappropriate behavior or activity, we strongly urge you to be an active bystander and a compassionate person of support. If you see something, please say something — whether in the moment to interrupt behavior you witness, or by filing a report with the university. When we support one another, we are stronger than hate. CMU leadership remains committed to swiftly reviewing these reports and taking appropriate action. 

We also recognize that some CMU community members are eager to talk about the Fence and its role in this climate; please see our recent statement on this topic. We will continue to look for opportunities to build education and engagement on this matter across the entire university, and we encourage every Tartan to engage others constructively, listen actively, and speak and act with empathy. Each of us, regardless of our background or beliefs, has a role to play in helping everyone in our community feel welcome, safe and included.

Sincerely,

James H. Garrett Jr.
Provost and Chief Academic Officer 

Gina Casalegno 
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students