A Message From The President
A Message from President Harring to the Muhlenberg CommunityBy: Kathleen Harring Wednesday, November 1, 2023 03:00 PM
Dear members of the Muhlenberg community,
Nearly a month after Hamas’ attacks on Israel, each day brings more anguish as the violence continues. Our hearts are with all who are affected — Israelis, Palestinians and many more. We grieve for the thousands of lives lost and abhor the devastation.
The emotions and rhetoric on this subject across the nation and on some college campuses has been heated and, in some cases, has turned violent. News reports each day intensify the angst. Many members of the global Muhlenberg community have reached out to express their concern for the wellbeing of the College and its students. I am grateful for their outreach.
I continue to be inspired by our campus community’s grace, care and mutual respect during this difficult time. Our commitment to the civil exchange of ideas remains firm. Each of us can and should articulate our opinions freely in public and on campus within the bounds of College policy and the law. This is the essence of Muhlenberg as a liberal arts college.
Our community has demonstrated this commitment in numerous ways, among them organized listening circles, conversations with faculty and staff, incisive reporting in The Weekly, and the many events students have organized in service to constructive dialogue. Of course, we will not always agree with one another. Friction and discomfort are essential to learning, and we each should be truly open to hearing and understanding what those with different viewpoints have to say. We will continue to create space for reflection and conversation.
We are committed to providing a safe environment for every member of our campus community, including additional security and campus safety resources if needed. Hatred and bigotry have no place on our campus, nor do threats of violence. Should anyone encounter harassment or discrimination, we encourage you to use all available resources, including our confidential bias-reporting system. Simply put, the College will not tolerate threatening or intimidating behavior. We continue to be vigilant, working to ensure the welfare of all members of our campus community.
Freedom of expression and inquiry and the safety of our community are fundamental to the Muhlenberg liberal arts mission. These are principles we aspire to daily on campus and in our interactions more broadly.
Our students have shown a high degree of emotional intelligence at a time when that seems to be in short supply elsewhere. This is what it takes to lead in a global society, and I am proud of them for modeling this kind of leadership. They give me hope for the future of our world.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Harring
President
