Anxiety over election results prompts support across campus

Anxiety over the outcome of the presidential election has brought out a surge of university support for students worried about the election and its effect on their lives.

The gestures, communications, meetings and counseling sessions — both big and small — are aimed at encouraging dialogue and reassuring students upset and worried about the aftermath of the election. Over the past two weeks, university leaders, faculty and staff have responded to concerned students wondering whether a new presidential administration will affect their ability to study at UB, threaten their families or endanger their personal safety.  

“As a university community we must come together during these uncertain times to affirm our core values,” President Satish K. Tripathi said. “We must remain committed to fostering a welcoming, safe and inclusive campus climate where all feel respected and valued.”

In a university-wide message in the first days after the election, Tripathi encouraged members of the university community to engage in robust discussions about the political process and the direction of the country.

“We uphold the right of all to be able to express their viewpoints in a peaceful and respectful way,” Tripathi wrote. “Given the tone and rhetoric of this election season, I believe it is more important than ever for all of us to listen closely to one another — especially when we have divergent points of views and experiences — and try to understand each other and learn from one another.”

Tripathi also was among the Association of American Universities presidents signing a letter in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA), citing the benefits of the program to undocumented immigrant students and the positive impacts on universities and communities.

“Signing the statement of support for our DACA students, is another way to express how we at UB strongly uphold the value of being a diverse university,” Tripathi said. “Our mandate as a public research university is to contribute to an educated citizenry. This mandate is critical to a robust democracy.

“All of our students — including our DACA students here at UB and across our nation — should have the opportunity to pursue their educational goals and their professional aspirations; and that, we support.”

At UB, expressions of support for students have included an email message from Stephen C. Dunnett, professor and vice provost for international education, that was sent to international students “to reassure all of our students, and all those considering UB, that our university remains a welcoming and supportive one for students from all parts of the world, regardless of race, religion and culture.”

Dunnett timed his message to coincide with International Education Week, calling the university’s diversity a source of “great strength.”

A similar message was sent by Raechele Pope and colleagues to students enrolled in the higher education administration program in the Graduate School of Education. The letter, said Pope, associate professor of educational leadership and policy, was intended  to comfort “Muslims, immigrants, undocumented people, women, people of color, people with disabilities and others … whose fears may be heightened” because the election results have become “not merely political; they are very personal.”

Dunnett’s and Pope’s messages are examples of expressions conveyed or organized by several university units, including the Graduate School of Education, the School of Law and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

The messages supporting UB’s core values of diversity and inclusiveness, freedom of expression and mutual respect have bolstered the small group discussions and one-on-one counseling taking place throughout the university.

Sharon Mitchell directs UB’s Counseling Center and is president-elect of the Association for University and College Counseling Centers. She says the anxiety level over the election at universities across the country is very high. UB’s Counseling Services office has met with several students.

“Part of people’s concern is about policy, but it’s also because they feel there might be some immediate and drastic negative changes to their lives,” Mitchell said. Many students of color and international students feel a Trump administration could be a personal threat to them or their families, she said. She noted that feelings of anxiety also are being expressed by students who support or voted for Republican Donald Trump because many feel unable to celebrate their candidate’s victory, fearing others will unfairly label them as “racists.”

To help student’s cope, Mitchell and UB’s Intercultural & Diversity Center last week offered a program during which they discussed how to manage election stress. Mitchell and her team have reached out to students to offer their support to anyone struggling with the personal impact of the election and the tone of the national discussions.

Sensing anxiety in the days immediately following the election, many faculty members have encouraged dialogue among students in the classroom. Sometimes the classroom encounters were unexpected and moving.

Rudolph Hammoud, a sophomore studying journalism in the Department of English, raised his hand during class after another student declared his support for Trump. Hammoud and the rest of the class listened to the student declare he voted for Trump after several students expressed their concern over the election and Trump’s pre-election comments.

Hammoud, who was born in Lebanon and whose family was granted asylum in the U.S., wrote his midterm article about how his family fled its home in Lebanon in the middle of the night during the country’s civil war.

“I just wanted to say that we shouldn’t negatively judge Connor (the student expressing his support for Trump) because he said that he supports Trump,” Hammoud wrote when recalling the incident.

“I noticed some tension and bickering when he said that, and I just don’t think it’s right. He is a human being with his own beliefs, and we should respect him. Just because Trump may have said some things that offended you, that doesn’t mean that Connor deserves to be harassed for it.

“I’m not oblivious to the fact that there are some hateful people out there, but we can’t make blanket statements about everyone. I supported Hillary, but I always engaged in intellectual conversations with Trump supporters. People all over the country are in pain and if we don’t take the time to engage each other, we will all lose. We must work together and try to relate to each other’s problems. It’s time to heal and move forward.”

Sometimes the actions have been more understated, but equally well-intentioned and heartfelt.

“It’s a small thing,” read the simple sign on the counter in 306 Clemens, home of the English department’s undergraduate offices. “But wear a safety pin if you want people to know that you are a safe refuge in these times of strife.”

The small pile of safety pins rested in a paper plate so visitors could grab one on their way out.

The School of Law will hold a community forum on “Election 2016” at 4 p.m. Nov. 28 in 106 O’Brian Hall. The forum is designed to encourage dialogue about the meaning of the election, personal responses to the results and the role of law.

James Gardner, SUNY Distinguished Professor and interim dean of the law school, sent an email on Monday to law school students, faculty and staff announcing the forum and addressing concerns within the school.

“The recent presidential campaign and subsequent election have raised strong feelings. Many are struggling, sometimes profoundly, to make sense of these events,” Gardner wrote. “Many students have turned to faculty and staff for guidance, which is appropriate and understandable, but students need to know that even faculty and staff are not immune from these struggles. Many of us have been trying, just as you have, to come to grips with intense feelings that are difficult to process and articulate. I, therefore, look forward to our upcoming forum.”

All members of the university community are invited to attend.

Over the weekend, Gov. Andrew Cuomo also sent a letter to all SUNY students affirming the state’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and to upholding the state’s strict laws against hate crimes and discrimination.

“As long as you are here, you are New Yorkers. You are members of our community and we will stand up for you,” Cuomo’s message said.

“We cherish our diversity. We find strength in our differences. Whether you are gay or straight, Muslim or Christian or Jewish or Buddhist, rich or poor, black or white or Latino or Asian, man or woman, cisgender or transgender, we respect all people in the State of New York.

“The Statue of Liberty is a proud symbol of American values and she stands in our harbor. We feel a special responsibility to make her offer of refuge and hope a reality every day.”