Dear Spartan Community,

Last week, one of our students was a victim of a hate crime and targeted for their religious identity. I believe that an attack on one is truly an attack on us all. 

I am grateful to the students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members who attended the Thursday, Feb. 12 Call to Action Town Hall, organized by SJSU’s Sikh Collegiate Federation and Sikh Student Association in response to the assault on the Sikh student and its broader impacts on many in our community. 

I want to share some of the work we’ve been doing to enhance safety and understanding, along with actions we’re taking following the assault. 

Institutional Next Steps

As a campus, we will continue to create an institutional infrastructure that can visibly support the range of cultures and identities within our campus community. 

Last year, I launched an Interfaith Task Force of 14 students, faculty and staff members to guide the campus in expanding awareness and support for religious, secular, and spiritual cultures and identities (RSSCI). Last month, the Task Force presented recommendations that will guide our evolution as a community of care by enriching our collective knowledge and capacity to understand a broad range of cultures and RSSCI identities that make our campus an inclusive environment for everyone.

The task force’s full report is available on the website, and Dr. Kristin Dukes is leading sessions with the President’s Cabinet, campus leadership and shared governance groups. Open campus presentations will occur in March and April, so please register here to ensure you’re included in the messages or to express interest in hosting a session in your department, committee, or recognized student organization.

To amplify our collective sense of belonging and care for each other, we are also creating Sense of Community Circles for faculty and staff, which are planned as a follow up to last semester’s sense of community’s campus climate surveys. Please look out for a registration email that will be sent this week.

Supporting our Sikh Community

At the town hall, I had the opportunity to interact with students and community members before the event began, and I remain inspired by the students, the Sikh community, and many allies who showed up to advocate for change. The students presented information about the Sikh faith and people, and together we learned more about their beliefs, their histories, their centuries of contributions to communities worldwide, and the discrimination and hate they continue to face.

Students explicitly shared that attacks on Sikh turbans are attacks on their dignity and identity. I, too, express my deepest regret and personal apology for the misidentification of our Sikh student in previous communications. 

In partnership with our students and consistent with the Interfaith Task Force recommendations, we will work together to increase Sikh awareness on campus. I appreciate the respectful dialogue and opportunities to collaborate with students to address important issues. Our University Police Department will engage in educational awareness with the Sikh community, and we will continue to provide campus safety updates. 

Our Commitment to Safety and Rejecting Discrimination

San Jose State’s leadership, faculty, staff and students wholeheartedly reject discrimination, harassment or retaliation throughout our community and such behavior is unwelcome and will not be tolerated. If you or someone you know has experienced discrimination, harassment, or retaliation based on a protected status, I encourage you to file a report or contact the Office for Title IX and Equal Opportunity for resources and assistance.

If you feel unsafe, or if you witness concerning behavior, please contact UPD via phone or the Spartan Safe app.  If your student organization or department desires further information about campus safety please reach out here to schedule a safety session. 

As our values remind us, we are committed to advancing justice across all axes of difference, backgrounds, and identities and promoting a sense of belonging and empowerment in our community. 

I invite you to join us in this crucial effort. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson

President

(She/Her/Ella)