With a new school year at the University of Arizona, administrators are expected to revive an issue raised last spring about free speech and inclusion. Last March the university made national headlines when students protested the presence of Border Patrol agents on campus. It led to more demonstrations and culminated with a “campus conversations” forum weeks before summer break. The university’s chief compliance officer, Celina Ramirez, explained how administrators plan to steer the discussion in the months ahead.
“More and more we hear that people feel isolated. They’re attached to their devices and it’s such an important part of the college experience to meet someone from across the country or across the world who grew up completely different from you,” Ramirez said. “I hope they feel that the administration is listening and wants to hear with they have to say.”
For the first event happening on campus Oct. 16, the university invited Loyola University professor Aurora Chang to speak about how college campuses can better support their students, specifically immigrants. That event will be open to the public, but Ramirez said other events will only be for students. The university created a webpage to share information about upcoming events.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.