Dear Students,
I wanted to reach out, before the busy days next week, with a few important messages but also to wish you all a safe and relaxing break. As it does perhaps every year, the Thanksgiving holiday somehow has come just in time to give us all a much-needed pause—and hopefully time for rest and reflection.
Here are a few updates:
COVID-19 clinic
There will be a COVID-19 Vaccine clinic on December 1, from 1-6pm. For more information follow this link.
Demonstration policy:
I know that many students have questions about the demonstration policy, which I encourage all students to read. The policy clearly articulates that free expression is essential to our community. The expectation of advance notification is simply to ensure that sufficient security is in place – including security for the protesters and to ensure that demonstrations are not conducted in a way that suppresses others’ rights to express themselves or impacts the College’s ability to fulfill its educational mission. The content of the demonstration, i.e. the reason that students are demonstrating, is not part of the required information.
The College Government has assembled a group of senators to meet with me to discuss the policy. In our first meeting, they shared that students continue to believe they will be charged with honor code violations for planning or participating in a demonstration. According to the code of student conduct: “Members of the community have the responsibility to practice high standards of personal behavior and stewardship of the campus community. All Wellesley students are responsible for understanding and following all College policies and procedures, including the Code of Student Conduct, and for abiding by all local, state, and federal laws.“ Abiding by the policies includes our demonstration policy. As long as students are following the policy, there should not be any concern about honor code violations.
I would encourage us all to continue to reflect on what it means to live and learn in a diverse community and, in that light, to consider the spirit of the code of conduct. How can we best put into practice the code’s ideals? How can we honor, in concrete ways, values like inclusion and mutual respect for all of our students? However we answer those questions personally, we should all be resolved that there is no room for antisemitism, Islamophobia, and any other form of discrimination or hate on our campus.
Holiday hours
If you are staying on campus over break, pay attention to the modified dining schedules and the hours for other services, including the health services, which will be open on Friday.
May you return from break rejuvenated, and ready to take on the final weeks before the end of the semester. And remember: though you may feel overwhelmed as we speed toward finals, try to take one day at a time, ask for help, and take care of yourself. To our first-years, you can do this!
Finally, in the spirit of the season, I want to say how grateful I am to be part of this community.
Sheilah Shaw Horton
Vice President and Dean of Students
Dean of Students open office hours – 30 min windows, Monday’s at 2pm and Wednesday’s at 11:30am. Green Hall 344
