News
Board of Trustees discusses sexual assault and College’s stance on immigration
By Dillon Kelly ’18
December 8, 2016
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President David Wippman and the Hamilton Board of Trustees met for their quarterly meeting last Friday, Dec. 2 in New York City. There, aside from discussing fundraising and strategic planning, the group discussed the issues of sexual misconduct and possible campus responses to potential changes in federal immigration law and practice. In an email sent out on Dec. 5, President Wippman stated that these issues were discussed at great length, with an emphasis on possible methods to resolve these various issues.
In another email, sent on Dec. 6, President Wippman addressed the specific issue of protecting members of our community whose immigration status may put them at risk. He noted that “Over 1,100 students, faculty, staff and alumni have signed a petition urging that [he] investigate the possibility of declaring Hamilton a sanctuary campus,” before going on to indicate the ways in which he is personally working to ensure that every member of the community feels safe. President Wippman has recently joined other several other college and university presidents in a statement urging continuation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows minors to remain in the country for a renewable two year period of deferred action from deportation.
President Wippman also went on to clarify the College’s current stance on this issue, stating: “The College does not now and will not in the future share information about the immigration status of our students, unless legally required to do so.” Furthermore, “the College does not now and will not in the future assist with the enforcement of immigration laws against members of the campus community, unless we are legally required to do so;” he also pointed out that “police or other law enforcement agencies that wish to carry out immigration enforcement activity on campus need a warrant or court order and that will continue to be our practice in the future.” Finally, the President assured the campus community that he is in the process of looking into ways to provide legal (or other) support to any undocumented member of the community who needs it.
Although these are encouraging words, some students are still discouraged about the progress the college is making. President of Student Assembly, Kureem Nugent ’18, stated: “While I do understand their decision, I do hope that Hamilton’s administration commits to their promise to explore options on how to best support any undocumented students if they face legal issues. Although the term ‘sanctuary campus’ remains vague to some, I think it’s important that we all strive to make Hamilton a place where all students feel safe.”
In regards to the issues surrounding sexual assault, President Wippman and the Board of Trustees discussed at length ways to potentially reform the current Sexual Misconduct Policy. To do so, President Wippman decided to establish a Sexual Misconduct Working Group, consisting of faculty, staff, students and trustees/alumni who are experts in the field. The group has been asked to review the best practices currently implemented at like campuses, and to also hold meetings next semester to gather feedback about the College’s procedures and policies. The group will then use this information to develop recommendations for improvements.
When asked for comment, President Wippman said that, overall, the Board meeting consisted of “a very engaging and productive set of discussions,” exemplified by all the efforts currently being taken to make Hamilton’s campus a safer place.