Students For Academic Freedom

Open Letter from President Nirschel · 15 October 2003

Efforts to Defund the Newspaper are Underway

Open Letter from President Nirschel

October 9, 2003

To: The University Community

From: Roy J. Nirschel, Ph.D.
President

Re: Free Expression, Civility and Mutual Respect

Roger Williams University is committed to intellectual inquiry and discourse. Among our core values is a celebration of the liberal arts, service, a global perspective and respect for the individual. Inherent within these core values is the affirmation of free expression as well as civility and mutual respect.

In recent days, a publication of a student-funded organization has crossed seriously over the lines of propriety and respect. In the past, this organization has flirted with racist and anti-Islamic rhetoric. The most recent issue of their publication, the Hawks Right Eye, is pornographic in nature, puerile, mean spirited and stereotypes gay individuals as child molesters, criminals or deviants. The views expressed therein do not represent the viewpoint of the Republican Party or most individual members of the party.

While we affirm the right of campus organizations to hold different points of view and to disagree, the university will not
condone publications that create a hostile environment for our students and community.

Roger Williams continues to believe in respect for diversity of opinion and a civil exchange of views as well as respect for
individuals regardless of their beliefs, backgrounds, or orientation. As an institution whose namesake preached, for his time, inclusiveness and respect for human dignity, we are a university too busy for hate.

You can visit the website of the RWCR's at http://www.rwucr.com and you can email President Roy Nirschel at rnirschel@rwu.edu

Anyone wishing to come to their own conclusion about the Hawk's Right Eye can visit their website at http://www.rwucr.com/hre/

Read a press release about this incident here.

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