From: Jianping Wang <wangj@mccc.edu> [Add to Address Book]
To: Bob Witanek <bwitanek@igc.org>
Subject: Re: Concerns About Rider Policies Regarding Travel Ban / ICE Raids
Date: Mar 4, 2017 3:28 PM
Bob,
Thank you very much for your thoughtful note. I will reach out to Rider on this matter. Thanks again. Jianping
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Witanek
Sent: Mar 4, 2017 2:39 PM
To: wangj@mccc.edu
Subject: Concerns About Rider Policies Regarding Travel Ban / ICE Raids
Dear Dr. Jianping Wang,
Congratulations on your successful transition into the position as President of Mercer County College. Also your working together with Rider University to provide an opportunity for Mercer County College, traditionally a commuter college, to experience the campus life by residing at Rider is an asset and achievement for your administration. The opportunities for Mercer County College to, according to the Rider page on the agreement:
“The formal agreement — one of several signed on Dec. 14 at a ceremony on Mercer’s West Windsor campus — allows Mercer students to live in Rider’s residence halls at a reduced rate. As campus residents, the students will have full access to the University’s resources, including libraries, dining halls, and exercise and sports facilities. They will also be encouraged to participate in Rider’s 150 student clubs and organizations, intramural sports and on-campus events, such as concerts, musicals and Division I athletic events.”
The Rider announcement specifies: “The housing agreement applies to both domestic and international students.”
“The formal agreement — one of several signed on Dec. 14 at a ceremony on Mercer’s West Windsor campus — allows Mercer students to live in Rider’s residence halls at a reduced rate. As campus residents, the students will have full access to the University’s resources, including libraries, dining halls, and exercise and sports facilities. They will also be encouraged to participate in Rider’s 150 student clubs and organizations, intramural sports and on-campus events, such as concerts, musicals and Division I athletic events.”
The Rider announcement specifies: “The housing agreement applies to both domestic and international students.”
This arrangement is for Mercer County College and its student body while also benefiting Rider by generating revenue from available dorm rooms that would otherwise remain vacant due to enrollment decline, and be an expense burden due to maintenance costs.
However, you might have been following recent developments regarding the question of Rider’s reaction to the executive travel ban of the Trump administration, currently withdrawn and being revised, as well as continuing high profile immigration crackdowns by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) against immigrants, and often those who appear to individual agents to be immigrants.
Other colleges, including Rutgers University, and universities are considering and adopting sanctuary measures to protect the university community from overstepping by authorities that could threaten the safety and well being of university communities, including students, faculty, staff, administrators, *residents*, visitors, service providers be they employed by the colleges or contracted, attendees of events and any others that might be on the university grounds.
Sanctuary measures include a set of policies that when adopted, provide maximum protection possible to the university community. One key provision of sanctuary on college campuses is:
Other aspects of sanctuary campus are listed in this article: http://riderstudentsunion.blogspot.com/2017/02/five-days-after-i-publicly-brought.html
Rider President Dell Omo was recently quoted in the Rider News stating that Rider would not adopt the sanctuary provisions. In a letter to the Rider student body, Dell Omo pledged to comply with all laws. Presumably that includes the immigration crackdown. His comments in the Rider News article on the topic also heaped criticism on those universities that are affording greater protection and safety to the student body: http://www.theridernews.com/2017/02/21/rider-is-not-a-sanctuary-campus-university-prez-says
I am wondering if the Rider Administration has consulted with you or Mercer County College administration in any way in regard to these pronouncements of policy that impact your student body that resides there.
As president of MCCC, I would suggest there is an obligation to your students that want to utilize the tremendous opportunity to reside at Rider. I would suggest that you have an interest to seek a more favorable disposition for MCCC students that might reside at Rider and participate in the activities there. The decisions made on this by Rider Administration and as articulated in a recent Rider News article by Rider President Dell Omo directly impact the students that are proverbially under your care.
As of now, the private property of Rider University can be breached without warrant by ICE agents seeking to detain Mercer County College students that reside there and deserve protections from Rider University that is receiving housing fees and also from your administration at Mercer County Community College that has entered into this agreement with Rider.
I urge you to communicate concerns and call upon the Rider Administration to adopt stronger policies of protection and support for the Mercer County College students taking advantage of this opportunity. The rich, working class and diverse student body of Mercer County Community College deserves better support, protection and safety than what is currently being provided. Do not wait until a high profile situation occurs at Rider that jeopardizes the safety and well being of Mercer County College students to communicate your concerns.
Sincerely,
Bob Witanek
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