October 16, 2023
Dear Deans:
I am reaching out to you as we enter the second week of operations in the shadow of the awful events that continue to unfold in Israel and Gaza. Your representative on Executive Council, Dean Ann Ardis, helpfully pointed out the desire for specific information that deans are requesting in response to the crisis. I have some of that information, and some requests for your help, as well.
Helping faculty and staff in need
Last week President Washington shared a statement with the university community in the immediate wake of the attacks on Israel, which included resources for university faculty, staff, and students to take advantage of in that moment of need, most notably the Employee Assistance Program for faculty and staff, to which you should refer those who are in personal crisis.
Of particular concern is how we are helping faculty or staff who may have become stranded in the affected area while on university business. George Mason University operates the University Travel Advisory Committee (UTAC), from which Mason employees are required receive travel clearance prior to visiting regions with travel advisories in effect. At present, this committee has not been informed of any Mason employees on university business in Israel, Gaza, or the West Bank who have not already made contact with UTAC. If any of you know of Mason employees who may not have received preclearance and find themselves needing assistance in the affected region, your first step is to email UTAC@gmu.edu. For complete details on university policies and resources related to international travel, visit the Operational Risk Management website for travel advisories.
Safety concerns
A number of events last week, including a large demonstration at the core of the Fairfax campus, left some of our faculty and staff concerned about campus security. The events, while uniformly peaceful, were unsettling to many. President Washington will share a message to the full campus community with more information on our security, so watch for that upcoming email.
Public statements
Over the weekend the role that American universities and their leaders are perceived to be playing became the subject of extensive news coverage, commentary, and speculation. Understandably, the urge for us as academic leaders to speak out about the crisis is natural and can feel irresistible, but I want to caution you to refrain from doing so in the name of George Mason University or your academic unit.
Given that every word made public on this topic by university leaders is being scrutinized and often weaponized to advance various interest groups’ objectives, Mason is taking great care to limit its public pronouncements to those that reiterate our core values and contribution in times such as this. In addition, any university comment about this topic will be issued through the Office of the President, where external accountability for any statements rests, regardless of where within Mason a statement may originate.
Please do not refer complaints that come to your units to central administration or communications. We do not have the bandwidth to manage that volume of responses. Rather, please instruct share our core message points with those on your team designated to respond:
- We stand for freedom and learning.
- We prioritize the safety and wellbeing of all Mason students, faculty, and staff who are impacted by this crisis, and we are actively monitoring conditions to assist as we are able.
- As a matter of law and our own institutional commitment, we support and defend constitutionally protected speech.
- Actions that are unlawful, endanger members of our community, or disrupt our education mission are not constitutionally protected speech.
The academic contribution
No doubt, many of you have faculty whose are making positive contributions in response to this conflict. Perhaps colloquia are planned to help explain the deep complexities of the situation. Perhaps research and service on peace and conflict resolution are underway. Whatever the approach, we want to hear about your faculty’s contributions so we can promote them, thereby offering the public a constructive view of the work that Mason is undertaking in response to the events. Please ask your communications leads to share your unit’s contributions with the Office of University Branding, which is seeking to compile and promote such efforts.
In this and all efforts, I thank each of you for your ongoing leadership at Mason.
Sincerely,
Ken Walsh
October 17, 2023