By Kenzie Smith, Staff Writer
On Oct. 31 President Bob Iuliano sent an email to the student body highlighting Gettysburg College’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. On this day, the Supreme Court heard two cases on race-conscious admissions, a topic Iuliano has spoken on multiple times before.
“Our College is built around a central conviction: our belief that every one of us has the capacity to change the world for the better,” he started.
Iuliano said this is why faculty, staff, and alumni remain dedicated to Gettysburg and its students. “We believe in you and in the impact you will have,” Iuliano said.
President Iuliano elaborated on his beliefs; they are not only about talent and drive but also, more importantly, about character. Iuliano said that the characters the students of Gettysburg display give him hope for the future. He reminded the community that to change the world, one must give their best selves to others.
Iuliano referred to unspecific events that have occurred this semester.
“During this semester, we have wrestled with events that have underscored the essential importance of these commitments—events where members of the community have had their well-being, privacy, and, in the words of our mission statement, their worth and dignity called into question,” he explained.
President Iuliano urged the Gettysburg College community to do better to create a diverse and inclusive environment and thanked the people who are working to do so.
Iuliano also said he is working with faculty such as the Chief Diversity Officer, College Life, the Office of the Provost, and Human Resources to examine the clarity of current policies and procedures and their effect on inclusion, equity, and diversity.
“Our choices affect this community in profound ways. Our words and actions can stay with people forever. Let us commit to living our shared values and giving our very best selves to one another,” Iuliano concluded in his email.
Overall, students saw the email as Iuliano’s response to recent campus events.
Bella Hoffman ’24 said, “I feel like the email was an all-encompassing message to discuss the things happening on campus and outside of campus like the YAF speaker, the SAE bathroom situation, and the recent race-based Supreme Court cases.”
“I read [the email], and I couldn’t follow it. It says nothing,” said Toni Esquivias ‘25. “I think it’s trying to address a lot of problems on campus in one email like the SAE situation.”
Other students noted that they felt the email was insufficient, and they desired more visible actions to take place from the College.
“I appreciate that he’s addressing the matter, but I believe more should be done,” Sierra Burch ’25 said.
Sam Hartjes ’25 added, “I don’t think I trust this school to give an adequate response because the school has shown a history of not responding well to these incidents.”
Similarly, Robert Rosenburg ’23 shared, “[Iuliano] wrote a very long email that was meant to address a lot of the problems on campus like the SAE incident, the YAF speaker, and harassment on Carlisle Street, without addressing any solutions to fix those problems or recognizing that people feel unsafe because of them.”
He continued, “with his last paragraph, it seemed like an indirect way of saying ‘be nice to people’ or ‘don’t harass people’ instead of letting us know what the departments he mentioned are doing to ensure students feel safe on campus.”
Managing Editor Alli Dayton contributed to reporting.
