With the recent array of executive orders attacking Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and related policies in federally funded institutions, President Tepper agreed to a Q & A via email with The Spectator as a continuation of his prior statements. The first of statement was released on Jan. 31. The message promised to continue to monitor the situation and keep the Hamilton community updated of any changes to the institution. Following this, President Tepper released a statement on Tuesday, Feb. 18 through email that affirmed the administration was committed to supporting the broad range of students and experiences at Hamilton College.
The Spectator received the following replies through email, and President Tepper’s responses were edited to comply with The Spectator style guide.
What are your reactions and responses to the recent executive orders as they affect Hamilton College students and DEI policies?
I think DEI means something different to different groups and policy makers. If you think DEI is organized around exclusion and division, then you might be in favor of the recent executive order. For Hamilton and many colleges, DEI means that we continuously work to meet our core objectives—that every human who is part of this community can maximize their talents, expression and learning and that we are committed to doing whatever we can to ensure that growth. We know that feelings of belonging and inclusion are critical for learning and so that will always be a goal for the college. We also know that learning is accelerated in an environment of diverse thought, experience and expression. Again, we will continue this commitment as well.
What has been the process so far in responding to the DEI executive order?
It is important to understand that the DEI executive order prohibits only programs and activities that are unlawful. Although we are awaiting further clarification and guidance from the administration on what they believe is lawful and unlawful, we do not believe anything we do is unlawful. So we anticipate we will continue to support our students, faculty and staff in the same ways we always have.
How often will the community be updated about Hamilton’s DEI policies and how will those updates be given?
Vice President Bennett will continue to hold listening sessions for the community. We will continue to provide regular briefings at faculty meetings, staff assembly and SGA. If there are any significant changes in programming or policy as a result of the DEI executive order, we will communicate directly to any and all groups who are impacted by the changes. Again, I don’t expect any immediate changes based on our current understanding of the law.
Could you explain how DEI policies have been changed so far and may continue to change?
Again, our policies have not changed. The current DEI executive order simply says we cannot break the law–which we interpret at the moment to mean that we cannot provide a resource exclusively to an individual based on race, gender, sexuality or any other protected class. We do not have programs that exclude or give preferential access based on a protected status.
How will Hamilton support students directly affected by the recent executive orders, such as immigrant or transgender students?
All of our offices—Dean of Students, DEI, Dean of Faculty and the entire President’s office will continue to provide personal care and support to every student, and provide them with access to information and connections that help them understand the resources available to them and their rights. We are a human-to-human campus and we expect students will reach out to trusted staff and classmates when they need help. They should also reach out to me directly if they are unsure or do not know who to turn to. A good place to start is the Student Support Care Team.
Given that Hamilton College is one of the 131 institutions with an endowment over $1 billion that could potentially be investigated for DEI policies, do you believe there is any risk for Hamilton to be targeted?
I don’t think Hamilton is first on the list. I imagine the administration will investigate campuses where they feel there have been violations of the law and again Hamilton, based on my knowledge and review, is operating within the law with all of its programs.
Could you give an overview of the changes in grants and funding given to gender-based and race-based groups on campus moving forward?
There is no change. As long as a group is open to any individual who is interested in the issues, experiences and expression of the group in question then we are doing what we are supposed to be doing as a liberal arts college–building community, celebrating and honoring culture, discussing and learning about our shared humanity and the forces that propel or constrain human progress.
Will there be any changes to admissions regarding affirmative action and international students?
The College continually reviews its admission practices, including before and after the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision on the consideration of race in admissions. We continue to seek the widest possible pool of applicants, and we have invested in recruitment initiatives to build a diverse applicant pool as permitted and suggested by the Court. Our selection process considers student achievements, accomplishments and potential within the context of each individual’s experience. We identify students who will succeed at Hamilton, and we work to create an academic community where people can learn from one another. We believe our efforts will continue to yield a class of students who represent the broadest set of backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints as possible.
Now that colleges are no longer considered sensitive locations, do you believe that there could be an ICE raid at Hamilton? Are there any procedures in place in this event?
If any law enforcement personnel shows up on campus asking questions they should be directed to Campus Safety.
How will the College’s response to gender-based discrimination, harassment and sexual violence be affected by the recent executive orders?
The College’s code of conduct expects that all members of the community are treated with respect and we do not allow discrimination or harassment of any kind. That remains unchanged. Our processes for investigating claims of discrimination or harassment will not change based on the executive orders.
Since you aim for Hamilton to be a leader amongst liberal arts institutions, what will that look like moving forward in this current political landscape?
We must stay focused on our North Star–being the most important liberal arts college in the world–which means that we are continuously adapting and evolving our extraordinary learning environment so that our teaching is unsurpassed, our co-curricular opportunities are powerful and impactful, the opportunities to practice the liberal arts are plentiful and that we continue to build strong connections to our communities, businesses and industry, and policy. Every new administration comes with some uncertainty and chaos. I think it is fair to say that so far this administration has generated more uncertainty than anything in my recent memory. I think we need to focus on what we do and try not to allow the chaos to blow us off course. College leadership, along with legal counsel, is monitoring the situation daily and we will communicate clearly when there is something that requires attention.
Do you have any other thoughts you would like to give to the Hamilton community?
My goal is to make sure every member of this community is a fully empowered learner and scholar. We must take advantage of every moment we have together on this hill. While the uncertainty of our context could be upsetting, please continue to stay focused on why we are here. And know that, as a small community, we have the advantage of one-on-one support. We believe that we are effectively communicating with individual students who face their own complexity and uncertainty. No one should feel alone or isolated. Reach out confidentially if you need support. We are here.
