Monday, May 8, 2017

Message from Dr. Moore: Value of Different Points of View Within Our Community








Dear Cañada Community:

On April 25, a guest speaker was invited to campus by one of our student clubs.  The sponsoring club promoted the event and drew an audience from our campus and the broader community.  During this event the guest speaker was interrupted by students who did not agree with the speaker’s point of view.  The students who disrupted the event will go through the College’s discipline process.   

I also want to discuss a point that I think is even more important: respecting an individual’s right to hold and voice an opposing point of view.  It is embedded in our College mission that we guide students to understand and appreciate different points of view within our diverse community.

As an institution of higher learning, it is critical that Cañada College serve as a safe and supportive educational environment where ideas are thoroughly evaluated and discussed.  We must do better to practice the tolerance and respect we demand for ourselves.  We must be able to agree to disagree in a way that allows us to have constructive conversations about the issues and conditions that matter on our campus, in our community and our country.  I ask that Cañada College students, faculty, staff, and our larger college community be reminded of our virtues and values: respect, tolerance, and social justice as we seek truth and knowledge.

There will be many more events at Cañada College in the months and years to come.  There will be guests and speakers who hold views contrary to yours or to you may even seem inappropriate or controversial.  Cañada College has – and always will – support the right of free speech and peaceable assembly, and will continue to encourage events that foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. 

Our college is a vibrant, warm and tolerant place. As lifelong learners, we should all welcome debate, diversity, and even controversy as part of our academic community. I look forward to us all working together as we continue to reaffirm these values.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Jamillah Moore, Ed.D.
President


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