The message below was sent to students on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024:
Dear Carolina students,
As Tar Heels, we all have a role to play in fostering our Carolina culture of compassion and care — and to contribute to a welcoming and safe environment for us to live, learn, and work. At the same time, we fully support individuals’ right to free expression, dissent, and peaceful protest.
You may be aware of demonstrations yesterday that evolved from a walkout to a disruption of classes and campus vandalism. We understand that yesterday’s protests may have created fear and concern about our sense of security on campus.
Please know that your learning, development, and well-being stand at the core of our mission. There is a wide array of resources available for you:
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), for both individual and group counseling. You can reach CAPS 24/7 at (919) 966-3658.
- The Dean of Students team, for student support and referrals to campus services, assistance in balancing personal needs and academic demands, and navigating other challenges;
- Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office (EOC), for concerns about discrimination and harassment based upon protected status, including religion and national origin;
- The Heels Care Network, including our mental health resource hub, to identify services that best fit with your needs;
- Student Wellness, for non-clinical resources, skills development tools, and wellness coaching.
If you know a fellow Tar Heel who needs help, please submit a care referral.
As a service to our community, the University has created an events and demonstrations page that we’ll keep updated throughout the year, to share summaries of demonstrative events on campus that disrupt operations, any related statements by the University, and other information. As noted on this website, police are continuing their investigation into yesterday’s activity. Individuals who were involved may face criminal prosecution and/or referral for disciplinary consideration through the Student Code of Conduct.
I want to reiterate the chancellor’s statement: “Free expression and peaceful protest are, of course, in line with Carolina’s best traditions. We cannot tolerate, however, vandalism of public property or disruption of classes. We’ll pursue every avenue possible to hold people accountable.”
I hope you can rest and re-charge this weekend and will take full advantage of our upcoming well-being day on Monday. Please take care of yourselves and each other — and reach out if you need guidance or support.
Sincerely,
Amy Johnson
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs