“As the 2024-25 academic year begins over the next few days and weeks, I want to share a few updates about our work this summer to ensure a safe, inclusive campus climate that fosters a free exchange of ideas”

[can’t wait ..]
..

“Freedom to express diverse viewpoints is fundamental to the mission of the university, and lawful protests play a pivotal role in that process”

[you know the shit that’s coming when you read this as an opener]
..

[now the munition is gently hauled into position..]

“We make every effort to to nurture free expression, and we provide countless opportunities and venues for our students, facult, other academic appointees and staff to safely and lawfully share their diverse viewpoints and beliefs. While the vast majority of protests held on our campuses are peaceful and nonviolent, some of the activities we saw this past year were not.”

[bold emphasis mine - note the open implication that the “not” peaceful activities were those of university students and/or faculty]

“My office and campus elders have spent the summer reflecting with students, staff and others on the events of the past year.”

[emphasis mine: Imagine, if you will, this summer of reflection that you hear about only after the event].
…
“We have sought to identify ways we can strengthen and clarify our policies and procedures together.”

[isn’t that so nice? They are going to merely strengthen and clarify some policies and procedures. No cops, no arrests, no expulsions, this is a great development! ]
…

“Clear communication and consistent application of policies and laws are key to achieving the delicate but essential balance between free speech rights and the need to protect the safety of our community and maintain critical university operations”.

[Isn’t that so cool? They are going to delicately balance free speech with the consistent application of law enforcement, under the guise of safety in the face of a peaceful protest, but only implicitly]

“With these goals in mind, we will take several steps..”

[..uh-oh ..]

“* Clarifying and reinforcing requirements for policies impacting expressive activities including policies that prohibit camping or encampments, unauthorized structures, restrictions on free movement, masking to conceal identity, and refusing to reveal one’s identity when asked to do so by university personnel”

[woo-hoo!]

..etc…

“Some of this work has already begun and you will hear more about it from your campus leadership in the coming weeks”

[woo-hoo! I somehow missed entirely the invitation to summer discussion, missed entirely the opportunity to provide feedback on specifics arising from that discussion, and now, woo-hoo! The leadership are so nice, they are giving notice that they are going to wait till everyone is busy with the start of the new semester before shoving campus police and security and various other rules right up my ass!]

“We want our community members to understand what is expected of them”

[..namely, to say nothing other than to tell the leadership that said leadership is enlightened leadership..]

… “including a clear understanding of the principles, policies and laws that govern our behavior on campus”

[translation, if you are not breaking the law, we’ll make our own laws to make sure you are - that is, if we don’t like you very much - which is after all one of the central tenets of academia].

- Shyaku