University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Faculty Senate: December 15, 2016

WHEREAS extraordinary potential threats to existing safeguards on academic freedom, campus inclusivity, and student, faculty and staff wellbeing now exist at the state and federal level; and

WHEREAS the process of education best takes place in an environment of maximum trust, freedom, and security; and

WHEREAS, under the Wisconsin Idea, the public university is mandated to foster intellectual creativity and serve any and all people in the state; and

WHEREAS UWM aspires to become a Hispanic Serving Institution, hence broadening our service to the Latinx population of Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo issued on October 24, 2011, indicates that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are subject to certain restrictions upon entering college and school campuses and should avoid targeting students for immigration enforcement, except under extraordinary circumstances. This memo is available at the following link: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/ero-outreach/pdf/10029.2-policy.pdf ; and

WHEREAS,  the term “Sanctuary Campus” bears tremendous symbolic, rather than particular legal guidance, and therefore sends an important message to the UWM community regarding collective wellbeing and support;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Faculty Senate of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee directs the Chancellor to support our campus by adopting the following Sanctuary Campus provisions:

➔ REAFFIRM UWM’s commitment to diversity and inclusiveness by proclaiming, highlighting and strengthening our campus policy to protect those who have been and may be targeted by hate speech, bullying, and harassment specifically based on race, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, religion and/or immigration/citizenship status; and

➔ CREATE a campus policy instructing the UWM Police Department to do everything possible to support our immigrant and international students including: to decline to assist federal ICE authorities in deportations or immigration raids; and to assure the entire UWM community that UWM Police will not engage in helping the federal government with deportations or with inquiries regarding the immigration status of students; except in the case a legal warrant is presented; and

➔TAKE A STAND, now and in the future, against any federal registry of Muslim Americans or other targeted groups; and

➔ MAKE legal clinics and “know your rights” trainings available for, particularly but not exclusively undocumented and international individuals; and

➔ ASSIGN an administrative resource center with the responsibility for counseling undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) students on their education status on a strictly confidential basis with financial support from UW-Milwaukee student segregated fees; and

➔  SECURE resources for students whose legal status may change and/or who may be unable to travel to campus to finish their educational programs. These resources may include: access to online courses, additional tuition remissions, or other provision, as necessary (see the federal Education Department Resource Guide for Undocumented Students); and

➔  PROVIDE specific training for staff, faculty, and counselors on the needs of undocumented, DACA beneficiary, and marginalized students; and

➔  PROTECT the privacy of all university records unless a legal process is in place and compels otherwise.