Dear faculty, staff, and students,
It has been a pleasure meeting our newest members of the community these past few weeks as well as welcoming home those who had some respite this summer. I hope that your classes and time on campus will inspire and energize you, your research, scholarship and creative practice, and aid you in your goals for what you hope to accomplish during your time here.
The coming academic year is certain to bring new challenges globally and nationally which will provide transformative opportunities on our campuses to inquire, study, debate, evaluate, and understand one another and the world around us. In the spirit of that inquiry, UNH will be hosting several events this fall on citizenship and political participation as well as pressing national and global issues. Please review the events scheduled to date in the attached document and continue to check the central calendar for additional details for forthcoming opportunities.
President Chilton will soon share information on the working group she is creating to review the events of May 1 with an eye toward strengthening UNH's policies, procedures, and practices related to expressive activity. The committee will make recommendations for policy updates, if necessary, and steps to improve the communication of our policies and actions with the campus and broader community. I hope you will participate in the President’s Town Hall on September 17 at 1PM in the Granite State Room. You can submit questions in advance here.
Each of us plays a role in ensuring that our institution remains a place where community members are free to critically think and communicate, learn, inquire and mature. As a public university UNH is required to follow state and federal laws to ensure we maintain a nonpartisan and welcoming environment for all members of our communities and guests. Given that the election season is upon us, please take some time to review the guidelines and policies that relate to political activity on campus.
Student Life has been playing an instrumental role in communicating rights and responsibilities to students and has been doing so through multiple avenues. This information has been shared with students, but we thought it might be helpful for the entire community as well. In 23-24, the Freedom of Expression and Guidelines on Peaceful Dissent was developed to expressly outline the fundamental rights and protections students have to free expression and speech. This page provides a resource to students to understand the privileges the First Amendment affords, applicable restrictions, as well as resources and answers to commonly asked questions about Free Speech and Lawful Assembly. The UNH Votes page also serves as a central repository for information regarding voter registration. Don't forget, today is the NH State Primary and polls are open in Durham until 7 pm.
Thank you for taking time to review this information, and please do consider participating in some of the extraordinary opportunities outlined in the attached schedule. I look forward to seeing you at these events and to the insightful conversations that await.
With warm regards,
Wayne E. Jones, Jr.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
