President Wippman’s Writings & Remarks

We can be proud of what we have accomplished during the past 15 months, but we should also recognize that the strains of pandemic life have left many of us exhausted. I plan to take some vacation this summer, and I hope you also will be able to find time to rest and recharge.

One year ago, I announced a renewed and more comprehensive plan of action to address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Hamilton, and I identified three steps we would take: host listening sessions and form an Advisory Council; expedite a new equity and inclusion plan; and increase resources. These steps were intended to accelerate the work already being done to create a more welcoming and inclusive campus community. I am writing to update you on some of the progress we have made.

On Friday, June 11, the Board of Trustees held its annual summer meeting via Zoom. We expect to return to in-person meetings this fall.

As we approach the end of the spring semester, we can take great pride in the way our community has responded to the challenges of the past year. While the pandemic is far from over, we are looking forward to a resumption this fall of full in-person learning and most if not all of the co-curricular and extracurricular activities that make the Hamilton residential experience so vibrant.

The presidents of the New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium member institutions have issued a statement following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minnesota.

Late this afternoon, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. While the jury’s decision provides a measure of accountability in this case, the problem of racialized policing remains.

In my March 18 note to the campus, I expressed gratitude to the Advisory Council for its thoughtful and far-reaching proposals to address diversity, equity, and inclusion at Hamilton. The Council devoted a great deal of time and energy to developing those proposals, and Hamilton will be a stronger institution as a result. It now falls to all of us to carry that work forward. As promised in my earlier message, I am detailing in this document responses to each of the Council’s proposals, with a specific individual or individuals assigned to take the lead on implementation. In the months ahead, we will determine how best to measure and track our response, and will share our progress with the community on the College’s DEI website.

Earlier this week the Advisory Council submitted its final proposals for addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion at Hamilton. I am grateful to the council members for the many hours they invested in this important work for the College and its future. Their proposals are thoughtful and far-reaching.

On Tuesday, a gunman killed eight people in Atlanta, six of them Asian American. While the motivation for this terrible crime is still being investigated, it comes in the wake of an appalling series of attacks on Asian Americans around the country. Incidents involving anti-Asian bias have accelerated since the start of the pandemic, driven in part by false claims about its origins. In the last year alone, thousands of such incidents, including violent assaults, verbal abuse, employment discrimination, and online bullying, have been reported across the United States. What these incidents have in common, apart from the ignorance and intolerance of those responsible, is that they violate the most basic values of our community and contribute to a climate of fear and anxiety for those who identify as Asian.

Exactly one year ago, I shared the heartbreaking news that Hamilton would suspend in-person instruction for the remainder of the spring semester. At the time, we had no known cases of COVID-19 on campus and only one confirmed case in Oneida County. None of us knew what to expect or how fast the virus would spread, so I urged us to “have faith in each other to meet whatever comes next.” We did and we have.