Faculty Senate resolution displays solidarity with students

Saint Joseph’s University Faculty Senate has unanimously passed a resolution to support students of immigrant and refugee status.

The resolution states that the faculty “is committed to uphold the dignity of every person regardless of religion or national origin—[we] stand with all members of our community.”

“Right after the election, there was a lot of general anger and fear on campus, especially from students from other countries and students who identify as Muslim,” said Elizabeth Linehan, R.S.M., Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy. “We really thought it would be good for Faculty Senate to say something in support of members of our campus who could be at various kinds of risk.”

Linehan co-authored the resolution with Jo A. Parker, Ph.D., associate professor of English. While the two began working on the resolution after the 2016 election, President Donald Trump’s executive order in January, and the backlash and demonstrations that followed pushed them harder to complete it.

“[They] made it even more imperative for us to affirm that the St. Joe’s faculty supported students with immigrant and refugee status,” Parker said.

Linehan was moved by all the statements universities said and university systems that objected to the acts carried out by the deportation order.

“We didn’t have to say something original,” Linehan said. “Everybody seemed on board on with this.”

The statement the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) released in November 2016, explained 27 presidents of Jesuit colleges and universities signed to protect undocumented students, influenced the senate resolution greatly.

“It not only cites the pledge but borrows from it quite liberally,” Parker said. “We found that the AJCU pledge eloquently and elegantly summed up the key ideas that we hoped to get across as well.”

The resolution highlights the AJCU’s call to protect undocumented students on campus to the fullest extent of the law, to promote retention of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival Programs (DACA), and to preserve religious freedoms.

Linehan wanted to especially present these issues through the lens of the special relationship the faculty has with their students.

“We support you,” Linehan said. “We have your backs to the extent that we possibly can. We’re not going to just hand somebody over. I don’t think it’s likely, but it could happen.”

Matthew Zanowic, ’18, is proud that the faculty has released a statement supporting his fellow peers that are potentially at risk. He believes it is consistent with what he has observed on campus since the travel ban.

“Through class discussions and faculty attendance at events concerning the travel ban, I have seen a very supportive and informed faculty ready to practice the Jesuit values of compassion and solidarity,” Zanowic said.

The two professors also provide in the resolution the university’s policies on protecting confidential student and employee information. They wanted to make known what the university says about privacy and religious freedom without distorting the policies at all. A letter from the office of the provost that was sent to the school community was utilized.

“The university is saying, reasonably enough, ‘If we get a legally binding request, we’re going to honor it,’” Linehan said. “We’re not asking the university to break the law, which I wouldn’t say the university would do.”

Religion is one of the protected statuses in Saint Joseph’s University’s Non-Discrimination Statement, according to Parker. “Ideally, we abide by that statement,” Parker said.

The faculty believes that viligance should be the main course of action. “If there is some questionable attempt to arrest, deport, detain someone, I think we need to be ready to question it,” Linehan said.

While they received thanks and an eventual unanimous vote, Linehan and Parker did have to answer why they made the statement in the first place.

“There is value in making a statement, even if it’s not a controversial statement among the faculty,” Linehan said. “There is strength in standing together.”