Student Protest on November 9, 2023

Dear Goucher Community, 

I understand that tomorrow (Thurs., Nov. 9, 2023) is a national day of protest in response to the current events unfolding in Israel and Palestine. We are aware that in solidarity with this protest some of our students are planning a class walkout at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow.  

As students exercise their right to free speech during the school day tomorrow, Goucher staff will be prepared to ensure that this walkout is conducted safely and respectfully, with as little disruption to normal operations as possible.  

As stated in our Goucher Student Code of Conduct we ask students to conduct themselves in ways that promote our community objectives of providing a safe, healthy, and productive living and learning environment for our students, faculty, and staff, and that demonstrates respect and civility toward others. We also want to refer students to our Campus Demonstration Policy as a reference for expectations.  

For any student who has concerns for their physical or mental health prompted by the current events in Israel and Gaza, we offer the following resources:  

The Student Counseling Center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday for individual counseling appointments. Students interested in making an appointment should complete the appointment request form online or call 410-337-6481. Any students in need of immediate mental health support by a licensed mental health clinician can also call our mental health line 24/7 at 855-236-4278. 

Goucher employees who need assistance can reach out to BHS, our Employee Assistance Plan provider, by following the instructions found in the Inside Goucher Portal.

Finally, please note that we have coordinated with Campus Safety to ensure that we have additional security in place this week, because more than anything else, the safety and security of our students and staff are of utmost priority. If you need to reach Campus Security for any reason, please call them any time at 410-337-6111. 

Thank you for ensuring that our community remains committed to and grounded in these principles of free expression and mutual respect.

Kent Devereaux
President
kent.devereaux@goucher.edu