Speaker Event

Dear all,

I am writing to let you know that a speaking event, on the topic of democracy and sponsored as part of Engaged Pluralism, was disrupted last night and had to end early as the speaker could not be heard and dialogue could not occur. I understand from some audience members that the repeated and coordinated verbal interruptions—which included students shouting profanities at the speaker—were difficult and, at times, frightening to witness. The atmosphere in the room made any meaningful dialogue or productive discussion impossible, despite the speaker’s attempts to engage cooperatively. The guest speaker event taking place on the floor below was also interrupted.

Disrupting an invited speaker so that others cannot hear the presentation is against our community expectations as well as the College’s commitment to Academic Responsibility and Respect for Persons. Vassar is a place of learning and engaged pluralism, where ideas can flourish, where we engage differences, and where we are open to dialogue that challenges us.

Vassar endorses peaceful protest, and some students stood quietly and held signs that did not obstruct the speaker. Other protesters shut down speech and impeded the ability of our community to dialogue, learn, and grow. The intent was to stop the speaker from addressing the audience, and the impact was that a small group of people demonstrated intolerance for the others’ views, opinions, and presence.

The Dean of College and Dean of Faculty will work together to ensure that we follow our policies and practices, and appropriate follow-up actions will ensue. I am confident that we will come together as a campus community to learn from this situation, so we can continue to be a community that learns through thoughtful exchange of ideas—the heart of a liberal arts education and a sustained democracy.

If you wish to talk more about the event, reach out to me, Dean Alamo, Dean Eudell, or Professor Kimberly Williams Brown, Director of Engaged Pluralism.

Future Engaged Pluralism events include a discussion about the situation in Minnesota, a film screening about democracy, and a second moderated talk about democracy in the South American context. For more information, email ep@vassar.edu.

Elizabeth H. Bradley, President
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
@linkedin.com/in/ehbradley