Dear Chancellor Syverud,
I am writing to express my profound concern about what I understand to have transpired at Crouse Hinds today (as reported to faculty by Prof. Janis MacDonald). To deny our students access to direct legal advice after they have been given individual written warnings about potential disciplinary action by the University is a fundamental violation of their basic rights and a severe breach of the values that ground the very idea of a university. To explicitly prohibit any lawyer and/or Law School faculty member from speaking to the students in Crouse Hinds constitutes not just a violation of basic rights but also a form of institutional intimidation towards students engaged in a legitimate, respectful, peaceful and dedicated protest to bring about positive change at our university.
I urge you to reverse the current prohibition and allow students immediate access to direct legal advice from lawyers and faculty who have offered to provide it to them.
Sincerely,
Roger Hallas
Associate Professor of English
