A message to the campus community about the protest at Kirkland Hall on March 26, 2024

March 26, 2024

Dear Vanderbilt community,

Early this morning, a group of students forcibly entered Kirkland Hall, the university's main administration building [see video], which was closed for ongoing construction (and clearly marked as such). Some of the students physically assaulted a Community Service Officer to gain entrance and proceeded to push staff members who offered to meet with them.

Student Affairs staff took a graduated approach to de-escalating the situation. First, they asked students to leave. When the students refused to leave, staff told them that their actions violated university policy and that they would be subject to disciplinary action. After several hours, the university began issuing interim suspensions. At this hour, many of the students remain in the building. We will keep the campus community informed as the situation warrants.

In addition, this afternoon a reporter was detained outside the building after making repeated attempts to enter several doors and being asked to leave. He was later released and not charged.

Free expression is a core value at Vanderbilt, as is civil discourse. Our policies allow for members of the Vanderbilt community to protest and demonstrate regarding issues they care deeply about. Indeed, dozens of peaceful demonstrations have occurred over the past several months. In consideration of safety and the university's normal operations, we, as a matter of policy, define limits on the time, place and manner of protests. The safety and well-being of our community is a top priority. The university takes action when our policies are violated, when the safety of our campus is jeopardized and when people intimidate or injure members of our community.

The war in Gaza and the passionate opinions on all sides of the issue pose a test of our commitment to free expression and respectful dialogue. We hold fast to this defining value of our university while prioritizing safety and our ability to carry out our mission. Tonight, I urge each of us to reflect on how we can continue to do the hard work of voicing our opinions and advocating for what we care about while at the same time respecting and preserving this vital community that enables us to do so much more together than we could do alone.

Sincerely,

C. Cybele Raver
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

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