To our SJSU Community:

 

Last fall, I shared my sentiments about our rich history of activism that is rooted in social justice and our efforts to support free speech and expression. One of the hallmarks of a university is to serve as a place where individuals can share ideas, perspectives, feelings, and opinions about the world around us, even when those perspectives differ from our own.

 

Freedom of expression, however, is not an absolute right. It coexists with other rights and the need for public order and safety. All members of the campus community should recognize that the way they choose to express themselves has consequences and that freedom of expression includes a responsibility to acknowledge and respect the rights of others.

 

Balancing our commitments to academic freedom and free speech and denouncing hate and untruth is often difficult, and lines of demarcation can be unclear and confusing. What is very clear is that we condemn in the strongest terms all forms of hatred, bigotry, and violence, including the horrific acts that have been occurring throughout our country and the world. Hatred and bigotry in all forms have no place at this university. 

 

Speech calling for the genocide of any other community member or group is abhorrent and morally repugnant, and contrary to SJSU’s values and ethics. Such speech can create a hostile environment that can interfere with a student’s right to access, benefit from, and feel safe in their education programs or an employee’s right to access, benefit from, and feel safe in the workplace. Hostile environment harassment is prohibited by the law and CSU policy. 

 

For the past several years, our practices concerning free expression have been governed by Presidential Directives on time, place, and manner that guides our activities and engagement on campus. More than ever before, we ask that you take time to review this important policy: Presidential Directive on Freedom of Expression and Time, Place and Manner, as well as the important resources, information and video messages on our Free Speech at SJSU webpages.

 

If you have any questions about this policy, please reach out to:

Student organizations: Review the SJSU Student Organization Handbook. Specific questions can be directed to Director of Student Involvement Jon Tucker ([email protected]) and Assistant Director of Campus Programming and Leadership Development Jordan Webb ([email protected]).  

Faculty and staff: Chief Diversity Officer Kristin Dukes ([email protected])  

 

The university is investigating the February 19 incident. We are in the process of retaining a skilled and qualified external investigator, who will be supervised in part by SJSU’s Office for Equal Opportunity (OED), which is the designated campus office tasked with responding to reports of discrimination and harassment based on shared ancestry, race, religion, and other protected characteristics. OED will work closely and coordinate with all affected university divisions as the matter progresses. Should you want to contact them directly, they can be reached at [email protected].

Personal safety and wellbeing are taken extremely seriously at San José State University, and incidents are responded to quickly and thoroughly. Resources are listed below for those with concerns about discrimination, harassment, wellness, safety, and campus free speech. Those services are available to you as needed, and I implore you to also use them to report any potential threats to this campus or the people on it. You may also report bias incidents and/or discrimination here.

 

University policies are only one of the many tools for creating and maintaining safe and caring spaces. As a member of our SJSU community, we ask that you join university and student leadership in reinforcing our commitment to a safe, caring, and respectful campus community and learning environment.

Sincerely,

Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson

President

(She/Her/Ella)

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RESOURCES

If you ever need to report an incident of hate or are in need of additional support around this and other related matters, please take advantage of the following resources:

To Report:

• Call University Police at 408-924-2222
• Bias Incident Reporting Form
• Student Conduct Incident Reporting Form

Students and employees have access to emotional support and counseling services as well as valuable resources that can hold space for discussion, connection and support. 

Resources for Students: 

• Counseling and Psychological Services 
• MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center

Resources for employees:

• Jewish Faculty and Staff Association
• Mental Health for Staff and Faculty

Resources for Everyone:

• Hillel of Silicon Valley 
• Jewish Family and Children Services
• Jewish Silicon Valley
• Muslim Community Association
• Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Palestinian American Coalition of San Francisco
• SJSU Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) at 408-924-6339 or use this non-emergency referral form.