A call for the campus to be a sanctuary represents to me a realistic and authentic need to feel and be safe. Such a call is evocative because there’s no doubt that those who currently do not have documentation of citizenship are being cruelly threatened by recent federal policy initiatives and rhetoric.
Our campus faculty, students, and leadership have been working tirelessly with state and federal representatives and regional organizations to protect our undocumented and DACA students and staff. Much of that work is behind the scenes but even the recent announcement of $30 million in state aid to assist those with DACA status is evidence of our and many others’ advocacy efforts.
Such advocacy will continue as we find more allies from every point along the political spectrum to make the case that developing a reasonable path to citizenship is good for individuals and families, and very good for our state and nation.
Chancellor White addressed the topic of the CSU as a sanctuary in his November 2016 open letter to CSU faculty, staff and students. In this letter, he stated, “While I understand and deeply respect the sentiment behind this interest, we, as a public university cannot make that promise unilaterally. The term “sanctuary” has several interpretations and is in many contexts ambiguous. If we were to use this term it would be misleading to the very people we support and serve.” I agree with his sentiment.
Our campus is as secure as it can be for every student and staff person without regard to their citizenship status or any other status they hold. As we celebrate our diversity, we must wrestle with what that means. The common good is a complex compilation of reasonable differences.
We can fight with each other over a word or we can join together. I will choose to advocate against the real threats and, yes, seek to remove barriers to all students’ university success.
Jane Close Conoley, Ph.D.
President
