President David Van Zandt is meeting with a representative group this week to discuss further steps the university can take to protect undocumented students, according to a university-wide email he sent out Friday evening.
The president’s email comes after a recent request from students and faculty which called for Van Zandt to establish more concrete measures that can protect immigrant students. Although he did not mention the term “sanctuary campus.”
“Students, faculty, and staff have taken the initiative to write me about additional ways the university can protect undocumented students, and I am meeting with a representative group next week to collaboratively prioritize and act on as many of their suggestions as we can,” he noted.
The group Van Zandt is meeting with is made up of international and undocumented students, as well as concerned faculty and staff.
In addition, students from the seven nations banned in the executive order will have access to individual legal consultations provided by the university at no cost. Admissions has also reached out to prospective international students to assure them that The New School is “undaunted and remain[s] committed to global diversity and inclusiveness.”
In the email Van Zandt reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to The New School’s history and values, especially in support of international and undocumented students and faculty who may be threatened by Donald Trump’s federal policies.
“It seems that almost every day, there is a new development that threatens the core values of inclusion and openness exemplified by The New School. As a consequence, we are witnessing the highest level of engagement and social activism by our community and across the country that we have seen in decades,” Van Zandt said.
He referred to the resolution passed from The Board of Trustees which will not disclose any person’s citizenship or immigration status.
In a statement released last November, The Board of Trustees declared “The New School will protect the privacy rights of all of our students, staff and faculty and not release records in our possession that may disclose citizenship status to any law enforcement authority.”
Van Zandt noted that The New School has shown support of these issues publicly as well, mentioning his part in signing onto two major statements, a letter to Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly expressing concern over President Trump’s executive actions on immigration and a statement in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The New School joins the signatures of more than 600 other universities on each statement.
Photo by Orlando Mendiola.