UNC-Chapel Hill faculty urge chancellor to do more to protect students, staff from Trump’s ban
More than 150 members of the University of North Carolina faculty are urging Chancellor Carol Folt to do more to protect students, staff and faculty against President Donald Trump’s executive order banning immigrants, refugees and legal U.S. citizens from seven predominately Muslim countries.
The faculty members signed a letter published in The Daily Tar Heel calling for Folt to do more than what she described in a statement on Jan. 29, which said UNC was “determined to help people who are directly or indirectly impacted in every way that we can.”
To the “more than 3,000 international students, scholars, staff and families – representing more than 100 countries – you are essential to our vibrant Carolina community,” Folt wrote, adding that the university was committed to “a diverse and inclusive campus and want all who work and study here to feel welcomed and valued.”
The faculty asked Folt to take a position similar to the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin and Cornell University, which promised not to release information about its faculty, staff and students to federal authorities – including their immigration status. Those universities also promised that campus police wouldn’t work as an arm of the federal government to enforce Trump’s ban.
But while Duke University, a private institution, made such a pledge, and UNC, Duke and Davidson warned students about traveling internationally, Folt’s response did not include the strong promises the faculty wanted.
Folt encouraged those with connections to the countries included in Trump’s ban to reach out to UNC Global for help. The university also told students, faculty and staff to consult immigration attorneys before traveling internationally, or to avoid international travel if possible.
But Folt made no promises in the Jan. 29 statement to withhold records to protect those at UNC affected by the ban or to prevent campus police from functioning as agents of the federal government.
Folt has in the past said the university would abide by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, which protects the privacy of a student’s immigration status. And Folt also said that the UNC police department does not gather information about citizenship or immigration status and only makes inquiries about people who are the subject of a felony criminal investigation.
“We staunchly protect the legally mandated privacy rights of our students and employees,” Folt said in a December 2016 statement.
The university must comply with all federal and state laws, though, Folt said in the same statement, “including regulations that address immigration, and this is consistent with the vast majority of public and private higher education institutions across our nation.
“Moreover, North Carolina law prohibits both counties and towns from adopting sanctuary-type protections,” Folt said.
In November 2016, at a faculty meeting, Folt said the university would not change its practice of not providing student immigration information in the wake of the November election.
At the same meeting, Associate Vice Chancellor Derek Kemp said the university’s Department of Public Safety does not monitor immigration status, and Chief Jeff McCracken said campus police do not enforce federal immigration law or detain people to determine their residency.
In a statement emailed to The News & Observer on Thursday, Joel Curran, vice chancellor of university communications, said Folt shares the concerns of the university community about the executive order and was working with UNC Global and campus leadership to support those affected.
“Since these specific issues arose last fall, the chancellor and her leadership team have issued several campus communications and have met with faculty and student groups to address their questions and concerns,” Curran said. “The most important outcome of these meetings has been to ensure those affected are directed to appropriate resources and are fully supported.
“To be clear, as she has previously and repeatedly communicated to our campus, Carolina is already doing what every other university is claiming to do in terms of protection of records, documents and identities. And as they have stated in several public forums, our campus police do not ask for citizenship status or gather immigration information.
“Chancellor Folt appreciates and shares the concerns the faculty are expressing for our students and encourages all of us to work together on these important issues.”
Abbie Bennett: 919-836-5768; @AbbieRBennett
An open letter to Chancellor Folt
We, faculty at UNC, thank you for the message you sent on behalf of the University regarding the recent executive order that severely curtails the rights and movements of immigrant and non-immigrant visa holders from several countries. We agree with you that the international students, staff, faculty and their families that are part of Carolina are essential to our community.
Several other universities, notably the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin and Cornell University, have pledged not to release sensitive information, such as immigration status, to federal authorities. These universities have also stated that campus police will not seek immigration status from students and will not function as agents of the federal government regarding the enforcement of federal immigration law. Such statements suggest concrete steps that universities can take to protect the health and well-being of those who study and work there. When can we expect Carolina to make a similar pledge?
Prof. Ariana Vigil, Women’s and Gender Studies
Prof. Elyse Crystall, English and Comparative Literature
Aaron Hale-Dorrell, History
Allison Schlobohm, School of Business
Altha Cravey, Geography
Andrea F. Bohlman, Music
Andrew Perrin, Sociology
Andrew Reynolds, Political Science
Angela Stuesse, Anthropology and Global Studies
Arturo Escobar, Anthropology
Banu Gökariksel, Geography
Barbara Anderson, African Studies Center
Barbara Fedders, School of Law
Barbara Friedman, School of Media and Journalism
Barbara B. Moran, School of Information and Library Science
Beth Grabowski, Art
Bill Balthrop, Communication
Bill Brown, Communication
Brigitte Zimmerman, Public Policy
Carole Blair, Communication
Carla Chibwesha, School of Medicine
Carole Crumley, Anthropology (Emerita)
Catherine Zimmer, Odum Institute
Chad Bryant, History
Charisse Caruth-Iacono, School of Medicine
China Medel, Communication
Charles Mitchell, Biology
Christopher A. Lee, School of Information and Library Science
Christopher Nelson, Anthropology
Crystal Wiley Cené, School of Medicine
Dana Coen, Communication
Dana Marks, Communication
Dana N. Thompson Dorsey, School of Education
Daniel Sherman, Art History and History
David Pier, African, African American, and Diaspora Studies
Deborah Stroman, School of Business
Deborah M. Weissman, School of Law
Dennis Mumby, Communication
Don Nonini, Anthropology
Donald J. Raleigh, History
Edward V. Rankus, Communication
Eduardo de Jesús Douglas, Art
Elizabeth Havice, Geography
Elizabeth Olson, Geography
Eric Downing, German, English and Comparative Literature
Erica Johnson, Global Studies
Emilio del Valle Escalante, Romance Studies
Emily Burrill, History and Women’s & Gender Studies
Emma Flatt, History
Fadi A. Bardawil, Asian Studies
Frank A. Domínguez, Romance Studies
Gabriela Valdivia, Geography
Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, African, African American, and Diaspora Studies
Glenn Hinson, Anthropology
Hassan Melehy, Romance Studies
Hollie Mann, Political Science
Holning Lau, School of Law
Hong-An Truong, Art
Iqbal Singh Sevea, History
Jane D. Brown, School of Media and Journalism (Emerita)
Jane F. Thrailkill, English and Comparative Literature
Jennifer Ho, English and Comparative Literature
Jocelyn Chua, Anthropology
Jon Lepofsky, Geography
Jon D. C. Powell, History
Jonathan M. Hess, Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures
Jonathan Weiler, Global Studies
John Kasson, History and American Studies (Emeritus)
John McGowan, English and Comparative Literature
John Pickles, Geography
John D. Stephens, Center for European Studies
Joseph Megel, Communication
Joy Kasson, American Studies (Emerita)
Julia Haslett, Communication
Karen M. Booth, Women’s and Gender Studies
Karen Hagemann, History
Karolyn Tyson, Sociology
Kate Weisshaar, Sociology
Kathryn A. Sabbeth, School of Law
Kathryn Williams, Dramatic Art
Kathy A. Perkins, Dramatic Art
Krista M. Perreira, Social Medicine
Kristin Wilson, School of Business
Kumarini Silva, Communication
Laura Halperin, English and Comparative Literature
Lauren Leve, Religious Studies
Liana Richardson, Sociology
Lisa Lindsay, History
Larry Grossberg, Communication
Louis A. Pérez Jr, History
Louise McReynolds, History
Lucila Vargas, School of Media and Journalism (Emerita)
Lydia Boyd, African, African American and Diaspora Studies
Malinda Maynor Lowery, History
Marcie Cohen Ferris, American Studies
María DeGuzmán, English and Comparative Literature
Mariska Leunissen, Philosophy
Mark Driscoll, Asian Studies and Global Studies
Maxine Eichner, School of Law
Meenu Tewari, City and Regional Planning
Michael Lambert, African, African American, and Diaspora Studies
Michael Palm, Communication
Michal Osterweil, Global Studies
Michele Rivkin-Fish, Anthropology
Michelle Robinson, American Studies
Miguel La Serna, History
Milada Anna Vachudova, Political Science
Minrose Gwin, English and Comparative Literature
Nadia Yaqub, Asian Studies
Neal Caren, Sociology
Neal Thomas, Communication
Pam Cooper, English and Comparative Literature
Patricia A. McAnany, Anthropology
Patricia Parker, Communication
Patricia Sawin, American Studies
Paul Leslie, Anthropology
Paul Roberge, Linguistics
Peter Redfield, Anthropology
Philip Berke, City and Regional Planning
Randall Styers, Religious Studies
Richard Cante, Communication
Richard Langston, Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures
Rita A. Balaban, Economics
Rob Hamilton, Communication
Robert Anderson, Romance Studies
Rupa Redding-Lallinger, School of Medicine
Ruth Salvaggio, English and Comparative Literature
Ryan Shaw, School of Information and Library Science
Sabine Gruffat, Art
Sara Smith, Geography
Sarah Shields, History
Sharon James, Classics
Sherryl Kleinman, Sociology
Steve May, Communication
Suzanne Thoyre, School of Nursing
Tanya Shields, Women’s and Gender Studies
Thomas B. Clegg, Physics (Emeritus)
Thomas Kelley, School of Law
Thomas Freeman, Chemistry
Tony Perucci, Communication
Torin Monahan, Communication
Townsend Middleton, Anthropology
Trude Bennett, School of Public Health (Emerita)
Valerie Lambert, Anthropology
Warren Christian, Writing Center
Wayne E. Lee, History and Peace, War, and Defense
Wendy Weber, English and Comparative Literature
William Ferris, History
William H. Race, Classics
William Sturkey, History
This story was originally published February 2, 2017 at 4:07 PM with the headline "UNC-Chapel Hill faculty urge chancellor to do more to protect students, staff from Trump’s ban."