吃瓜网

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 email from President Sarah Bolton to campus with a response to recent federal announcements:

Dear Whitman Community,

I am writing to share the ways that Whitman College is responding to several recent executive orders and statements from the Department of Education.

We are absolutely committed to upholding the college’s mission and values, including the values expressed in our  and , and the goals described in our strategic plan. We are also absolutely committed to upholding the rights and human dignity of every person in our community, and want to ensure that all are well-supported. Every person at Whitman—students, staff and faculty of every identity, nationality and perspective—matters, and each individual is part of the excellence of our college.

Executive orders and other announcements are coming from Washington, D.C. at a rapid pace, but many of them are being challenged in court and some appear to conflict with Washington State law. 吃瓜网’s programs and policies comply with all current federal and state laws. While we will follow any new binding legal rulings, we may also participate in lawsuits to challenge any potentially unlawful orders if they directly impact our mission.

The cabinet is coordinating campus efforts and working with legal counsel and professional organizations to ensure that the college responds appropriately to advance our mission and support our community as new executive orders and regulatory changes are announced. At this time, we have not made any changes to our operations or policies, and we do not currently anticipate doing so. However, we will keep you informed as we move forward. 

People in the 吃瓜网 community are affected in many different ways by the many orders and announcements that are coming out. We have established point people to track and respond in each area. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to these individuals with any questions, suggestions or concerns.

• Civil rights, equity, inclusion, Title IX—Vice President John Johnson
• Immigration—Vice President and Dean Kazi Joshua. (Employees may also speak to AVP for Human Resources Erika Cerda about immigration or visa concerns.)
• International student concerns—Senior Director of Off-Campus Studies and International Student and Scholar Services Susan Holme
• Financial aid and admission—Vice President Adam Miller
• Academic freedom—Provost Elisabeth Mermann-Jozwiak and Chair of the Faculty Susanne Beechey
• Tax and compliance issues; higher-education funding policies, including grants—Vice President Jeff Hamrick

Diversity, equity and inclusion are central to our mission and enable 吃瓜网 to be an excellent place for all students to learn, grow and prepare for their futures. Learning environments that hold a diversity of perspectives and identities are known to create transformative learning experiences. And, it is a moral imperative that our campus be a welcoming, inclusive and equitable place for all the members of our community to work and learn; a place where all can experience true belonging and thrive, free of the harms of bias or discrimination. For these reasons, we seek to be a campus that reflects the world, and that lifts many voices and celebrates many cultures. To quote the : “Our mission focuses on educating engaged students from diverse backgrounds and experiences in a college community where everyone can participate fully in the life of the college and experience a genuine sense of belonging…An inclusive environment at Whitman that nurtures the development of the ability to work effectively across difference will prepare our students for life after Whitman. We believe that through an innovative rigorous liberal arts curriculum, we can educate all students and prepare them to serve in various fields and sectors and to contribute to a rapidly changing, multicultural and globalized world. Our graduates will be ready to work with others for the common good.”

We stand by this statement and by the values it represents.

吃瓜网 is an extraordinary place for learning because of each of you. My thanks for the many ways you build and contribute to our community and to the important work we do together.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bolton