Message from the President
December 9, 2016
Dear UTRGV Family,
Both the Faculty Senate and a group of students have recently delivered documents expressing concerns about students’ safety in light of the current political climate. These concerns are powerful and heartfelt, and I deeply appreciate the faculty and students who have taken it upon themselves to speak in support of our student body. This message is a response to those concerns and is meant to make absolutely clear that UTRGV is committed to placing student success and safety at the heart of the institution. The UTRGV community includes students, faculty, and staff of many backgrounds, and UTRGV welcomes and celebrates what each person brings to campus.
The following are current practices at UTRGV. We reaffirm these practices as part of our commitment to an inclusive campus community:
- UTRGV does not and will not share student records with outside authorities without student consent, unless compelled to by law. "Directory information" that the university can release according to educational law does not include citizenship or immigration information. (See www.utrgv.edu/ucentral/registration/ferpa for additional information on student record confidentiality.)
- The primary focus of UTRGV’s police is on keeping our campus community safe. They have an excellent relationship with local, state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Border Patrol, with a collaborative focus on campus safety. UTRGV police do not and will not ask students, staff, and faculty about immigration status or religious affiliation.
- UTRGV does not and will not tolerate sexual harassment or misconduct of any kind, nor will we tolerate discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation. We will continue to require university employees to receive regular training on sexual harassment and misconduct and will continue to support the LGBTQ Ally Safe Zone program with training available to any interested campus member.
- UTRGV supports and will continue to support the success of our undocumented and Dreamer students across all of our units and student support offices. We will also explore the creation of a specific support structure, whether an office or a network of faculty and staff, to make it clearer to these students who to turn to for assistance. We will also continue to recruit and admit the best students in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
- UTRGV has and will continue to work in partnership with our local, state, and federal political representatives to help them to have a deeper understanding into our students’ experiences, needs, and successes.
As I stated in my memo of November 16 to the campus community, we must all work together to ensure that "all members of the UTRGV community embrace our commitment to a diverse, inclusive, safe, and supportive learning and working environment." As one of the leading Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the country, this commitment is central to our identity and crucial in my work as the President of this institution.
Sincerely,
Guy Bailey