Encampment Conclusion
Dear DU Community,
This morning, student protesters peacefully removed their encampment on DU’s campus.
Yesterday, May 28, DU leadership met with representatives from the protesting group about our ongoing concerns about their and the wider community’s safety, as well as our call for the encampment’s immediate removal. We shared that the University would not meet their demands for practical and policy-guided reasons. The protesters, in turn, shared the deep dedication and passion for the cause that brought them together in the first place. We are grateful the protestors decided to ultimately comply with the University’s call for a safe and peaceful conclusion to the encampment.
Nothing matters more than the safety of our students and the broader campus community, and I want to thank the faculty and staff who joined in helping our University reach this peaceful conclusion.
The past three weeks have been challenging for DU. Concerns about safety, discrimination and harassment, incidents of vandalism on campus, the spread of misinformation and general discontent have created painful rifts in our community. And while the encampment sparked diverse expressions of opinion, we also witnessed discourse from all sides that was neither civil nor respectful.
As we move forward, I encourage all students, faculty and staff to engage in meaningful and respectful discussions. Together, we can impact positive change while maintaining a constructive and safe environment. Let us recommit to fostering an atmosphere of thoughtful dialogue and intellectual humility – one that upholds our values and commits to the safety and belonging of our entire campus community.
We are a passionate, inclusive, intellectual community driven by academic and research excellence, character growth and well-being. Let’s strive to treat each other with dignity and respect, learn and grow from this experience, assume the positive intent of our community members and work together for the greater good. That’s what it means to be part of the DU community.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Haefner
Chancellor