Message from the Administration

December 11, 2006

Dear Members of the Tufts Community:

We write to express our outrage at the carol published in the recent edition of The Primary Source. It is antithetical to Tufts University’s efforts to establish a community of learning.

No one should have to endure a verbal attack based on race. We fully recognize freedom of speech on campus, and as administrators feel compelled to exercise our own freedom to speak out against this offensive act. A collective insult to a group of students based on their color is destructive to any dialogue about race that would befit an educational institution.

We are proud to see our students using speech to counter offensive speech, and demanding that all students be treated with respect. The TCU Senate meeting was a model of engagement, and the students who spoke were passionate and articulate.

We understand the frustration and anger that result from incidents like this one, and we will work with students, faculty and staff to continue to find ways to promote a climate in which ideas can be exchanged freely while respecting members of our community as individuals.

Sincerely,

Lawrence S. Bacow
President

Jamshed Bharucha
Provost & Senior Vice President

Steven Manos
Executive Vice President

Mary Jeka
Vice President for University Relations

Robert Sternberg
Dean of Arts & Sciences

Linda Abriola
Dean of Engineering

James Glaser
Dean of Undergraduate Education

Bruce Reitman
Dean of Student Affairs

Lee Coffin
Dean of Undergraduate Admissions