Information and Resources Regarding Peaceful Encampment Demonstration

Dear Western community, 

As you may be aware, a student encampment, similar to those which have emerged at universities across the country, has been established on Old Main lawn on WWU’s Bellingham campus. I first want to acknowledge the significance of the issues driving the encampment. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza demands urgent attention and thoughtful consideration, and I continue to be deeply moved by the genuine empathy and heartfelt concerns expressed by many of our students, faculty, and staff for the innocent citizens in Gaza, and throughout the region, who are being impacted by the war.   

Peaceful protests and demonstrations play a critical role in nurturing students’ growth and fostering civic engagement, and as a public university, it is our responsibility to allow on-campus demonstrations as long as they adhere to University policies.   

So far, the demonstration at Western has been peaceful, and, given our community’s strong commitment to our foundational values of respect for diversity of thought and opinion – and respect for the rights and dignity of all people – I am hopeful that this, and any demonstration on campus, will remain peaceful.   

A response team has been formed, and we are actively working to bring about constructive dialogue while keeping disruption of daily campus operations to an absolute minimum. Let me be clear: Western will not tolerate discrimination of any kind, including antisemitism or Islamophobia, nor will we allow any harassing behavior, violence, or destruction of property.   

Over the past several weeks, I have been meeting with student leaders from the WWU Arab Student Association, the WWU chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, and Hillel of WWU to discuss their concerns and how the University can better respond to them, and we will continue these important dialogues moving forward.   

We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to ensure that necessary measures are in place to maintain a safe environment for the entire campus community. If any member of our campus community feels unsafe, please do not hesitate to contact WWU University Police at (360) 650-3555. In the event of an emergency, dial 9-1-1 or (360) 650-3911. 

We also encourage our community to make use of our campus support services and other resources:  

• Counseling and Wellness Center  

  • Open to all WWU students, faculty and staff   

  • Hours M/W: 8 AM – 6 PM, Tu/Th/F: 8 AM – 5 PM  

• The Office of Student Life  

  • The Office of Student Life supports students experiencing crisis or difficult situations and coordinates resources 

  • Old Main 240   

  • Hours: M/T/Th/F: 2-4:30 p.m.  

• The Centers for Student Access, Community and Intercultural Engagement  

  • The Centers is composed of the Disability Access Center, LGBTQ+ Western, and Multicultural Student Services.

  • Our goal is to foster community by increasing access, equity, and inclusion with a focus on identity development, community building, and advocacy. 

• Structural Equity and Bias Response Team  

  • A student, staff, or faculty member can notify the BRT of a bias incident by completing and submitting the online notification form or notify the BRT by communicating directly with a team member. 

• University Police Department  

  • The UPD’s Public Safety Assistants (PSA) may also be called upon to provide safety escorts and other assistance: Request PSA support by calling the non-emergency dispatch number at 360-650-3555.

  • Call 911 or 360-650-3911 for emergency situations.

• Civil Rights & Title IX Compliance (CRTC)  

  • CRTC at WWU implements University policies that prohibit discrimination and ensure compliance with state and federal civil rights obligations.

  • Visit the CRTC website for further information.

• Associated Students of WWU (ASWWU)  

  • Students can talk to their student government representatives in the Associated Students of WWU: Contact them here.

Additional information and updates are available at this FAQ website and will be posted to news.wwu.edu. For other inquiries related to the encampment that are not addressed in our FAQs, write to Questions@wwu.edu or leave a voice message at 360-650-3350.  

Let us stay connected, listening, and supporting each other. Wishing you all a peaceful and productive week ahead. 

Kind regards, 
Sabah