Protecting Free Speech, Safety, and Security  

April 30, 2024

Dear Rutgers–New Brunswick Community,

As we approach the end of the semester, it is important to reflect on our collective commitment to uphold a safe campus environment that practices tolerance, mutual respect, and academic freedom. Also important to our community is a belief in the value of peaceful demonstration that does not impede our core academic mission and student success.

On Monday, a group of Rutgers students set up tents on the Voorhees Mall as a form of protest regarding Palestine and the war in Gaza. The Rutgers University Police Department and Student Affairs are monitoring the protest to ensure the safety and well-being of the community.

As the demonstration continues, please be aware of the need to balance free expression with protecting the educational, research, and operational functions of our university as outlined in the Rutgers University Policy on Disruptions (50.3.5):

This policy provides direction for addressing disruptions on Rutgers University property. The right of freedom of expression at Rutgers is protected. However, the University has long recognized that the right of free expression does not include the right to engage in conduct that disrupts the University’s operations or endangers the safety of others.

We cherish our community’s diversity of thought and the robust exchange of ideas it fosters. Supporting the right to free speech means creating a space for civil, respectful discussions. However, expressions of dissent or protest must not impede the right of others within our community to learn, teach, and carry out the university’s essential work.

To that end, Rutgers University policy specifies:

Disruption is conduct by any person that intentionally or recklessly obstructs, impairs, or interferes with: (1) teaching, studying or administration of the University, including the clinical mission of RBHS, (2) the authorized and other permissible use of University facilities, and (3) the rights and privileges of other members of the University community to engage in educational pursuits.

Disruptive conduct includes but is not limited to the following: obstruction, impairment, or interference with University sponsored/authorized activities or facilities in a manner that deprives, or is likely to deprive, others of the benefit or enjoyment of the activity or facility.

Our community’s strength lies in our ability to accommodate diverse viewpoints and to engage respectfully with one another, guided by our policies. Together we can protect free speech while keeping our community safe. I encourage our students, faculty, and staff to join me in working to preserve and enhance our community’s well-being.

Sincerely,

Francine Conway, Ph.D.
Chancellor and Distinguished Professor
Rutgers University–New Brunswick