Statement from President Marcy, September 5, 2017

Dominican Community:

As many of you are aware, this morning the executive order known as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) was repealed, with a six-month waiting period in which Congress may choose to take action.

We have DACA students, also known as dreamers, on our campus. Other members of our community may not be dreamers themselves, but have family members who will be affected. Whatever the outcome of the national debate, the impact of this decision on some in the Dominican community will be profound.

Dominican supports every person seeking to create a better future for themselves and for our world, every individual who enhances our community by their courage, every student who arrives seeking a meaningful education. I stand with them.

For those of you who would like further information on the issues and actions that can be taken to respond to DACA, our friends at the Marin County Office of Education have partnered with Canal Alliance to host a forum this afternoon, September 5, from 4- 6 pm to address the potential changes and provide as much timely information as possible. The event is at the Marin County Office of Education.

Those directly affected by the decision can find information about basic rights in document below from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, published September 5, 2017.

I have appointed Gaby Bermudez, Housing and Residence Life Coordinator, to support students who are affected and respond to questions and concerns. Gaby is fluent in English and Spanish. If you have students that are affected by this decision and need support or information, you can refer them to Gaby or contact her yourself at Gaby.bermudez@dominican.edu or by phone at 415-485-3277.

Marin Voice: Taking a stand to protect the rights of every student

(Op-Ed by President Mary Marcy, Marin Country Superintendent of School Mary Jane Burke, and Superintendent/President of College of Marin David Wain Coon, Marin Independent Journal, February 12, 2017)

As the leaders of the three major educational sectors in Marin, we are proud to serve a diverse array of students, support a diverse community of faculty and staff, and foster an inclusive and safe environment on our campuses.

As educational leaders, we are committed to the dissemination and creation of knowledge. Beyond this, our institutions honor human dignity and believe in the value of every student.

In this capacity, there are certain things that we believe.

We believe education is more than the accumulation of facts; it is the ability to think, communicate, inspire, and understand our world. We believe this opportunity benefits not only the individual student, but also our community, our nation and the world. We believe our diversity is a strength, and our responsibility is to provide opportunity for all students.

And, as educational leaders, there are things we know.

We know education is the single most effective path to personal and social opportunity. We know that students learn best when they are in an environment that provides support, safety and high expectations. We know that students learn from difference — difference of backgrounds, personal experiences, life choices, opinions and political perspectives.

Education is the foundation of our democracy. However, recent national political decisions, including President Donald Trump’s executive order travel ban and the uncertainty surrounding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), are having a negative effect on our campuses, and on our students’ ability to focus on their education.

We hear from students facing fear and racism in the greater community. We know of students concerned about their futures and the possibility of being deported or torn apart from their loved ones. We watch students fighting to defend their faith against stereotypes. We share concern about the detrimental effects of the executive order policy on faculty and students pursuing academic studies and research overseas.

The strengths and contributions of immigrants enrich the educational setting and we want to reassure students, staff, faculty and our greater community that we are unwavering in our commitment to our students.

Last month, the Marin County Office of Education board adopted a resolution that preserves the protections of immigrant families and affirms the right of undocumented children to a public education.

This right also has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in a case called Plyler v. Doe.

The board believes it is imperative that our schools send the message that we are committed to protecting the right of every student to attend our schools and institutions regardless of the immigration status of a student or of a student’s family members.

Marin Community College District is providing a united front on behalf of students and their families and the community. Specifically, the district will not cooperate with any federal effort to create a registry of individuals based on any protected characteristics such as religion, national origin, race or sexual orientation.

Confidential student records will not be released without a judicial warrant, subpoena or court order unless authorized by the student or required by law. District police will not detain, question, or arrest any individual solely on the basis of suspected undocumented immigration status.

Dominican University of California has underscored its historic commitment to human rights and human dignity and will use the full resources of the University to protect its faculty, staff and students.

The university has created a Google site providing facts and resources. Facts include information about fundamental rights, the assurance that the university supports all members of the community, and briefings from university legal counsel about the specifics of any change in law or policy. Resources include convenings on campus in association with community partners.

Recently, Dominican hosted a public event with Canal Alliance to discuss the implications of DACA.

Both Dominican and COM are among the more than 600 universities and colleges across the nation that have signed a statement supporting DACA. This statement urges business, civic, religious, and nonprofit sectors to join in protecting the opportunity for those undocumented students who have been raised and educated in the United States to pursue their educational and career goals.

We know we are fortunate to lead educational work in Marin, where we have a strong community and teams of faculty and staff dedicated to the same vision. Together, we are dedicated to creating safe spaces in Marin where that learning can happen.

Statement from President Marcy, January 30, 2017

At this time of confusion and unease, I am writing to affirm Dominican’s core values and provide resources to our community.

As a University, our work is the creation and transmission of knowledge. From our Dominican heritage, we stand for the dignity and rights of all people. In the midst of anxiety and an environment that is rapidly shifting, we stand firmly on these fundamental principles of our community.

On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order banning - at least temporarily - more than 200 million people from entering the United States. Citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries are barred from entering the United States for at least the next 90 days. The order also suspends the issuance of visas to nationals of these countries.

​Dominican is a community of U.S. citizens, naturalized citizens, permanent residents, and others from around the world. We are a community of many faith, traditions and beliefs. We derive much of our strength from this diversity. This executive order has implications for our community, and indeed the nation and the world.

The University is committed to assuring the dignity of all people, to providing the campus with fact-checked and relevant information, and to directing you to appropriate resources. I assume the environment will continue to change in the coming days. In order to stay abreast of current actions we have created a Google site to provide both facts and resources. Facts include your fundamental rights, and the assurance that the University will provide support to all members of our community. Facts also include the briefings from our University legal counsel about the specifics of any change in law or policy. Resources include access to information and to other organizations and convenings.

As decisions are made that affect our community, this site will be the primary source of communication, and we will notify the campus community when there is new information posted. Please bookmark this site: https://sites.google.com/dominican.edu/univcomm/, and feel free to share it. If you have questions, concerns, or information to share, please contact Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar (hrf@dominican.edu or 415.482.1927) or Nicola Pitchford (nicola.pitchford@dominican.edu or 415-458-3759).

President Mary B. Marcy