Classes will be replaced by programming aimed to unite community members "to discuss Dartmouth's commitment to fostering debate that promotes respect for individuals, civil and engaged discourse and the value of diverse opinions," according to the email. A total of three hours of events will be held for students.
Campus backlash has ensued since over a dozen protesters stormed into the Dimensions show at the Class of 1953 Commons on Friday night, rallying around cries of recent incidents of homophobia, racism and underreported sexual assault on campus. The welcome show, a beloved College tradition, is a highlight of the accepted students weekend, as first-year students perform songs and dances celebrating Dartmouth culture for prospective students.
Interim President Carol Folt and Dean of the Faculty Michael Mastanduno decided to cancel classes in light of the "threatening and abusive online posts used to target particular students" after the protest, the email said. The email did not address the act of the protesters themselves, who appeared to have broken College rules outlined in the Dartmouth Student Handbook, which bans conduct that "prevents or disrupts the effective carrying out of a College function or approved activity, such as classes, lectures, meetings, interviews, ceremonies and public events."
Folt declined requests for further comment.
Classes were most recently canceled in February 2007 due to blizzard conditions. The last time they were canceled as a result of campus uproar was in 1986, when students destroyed shanties, an anti-apartheid campus symbol, leading to a rally on the Green.
On Monday, students involved with the protest allegedly presented a letter to the administration requesting that it address their concerns for their safety on campus, according to The Dartmouth Review. The letter asks for a "day of campus-wide reflection" in lieu of classes.
Nearly all confirmed protesters declined multiple requests for comment, citing threats to their personal safety due to a photo that accompanied an article by The Dartmouth.
As a result of the letter, over two dozen faculty and administrators met this morning to discuss how to respond to the aftermath of Friday's protest, sociology department chair Kathryn Lively said. Associate dean of student academic support services Inge-Lise Ameer led the meeting, and Folt, Dean of the College Charlotte Johnson and the student protesters were all in attendance.
Protesters explained the weekend's events and discussed the fiery criticism they have received since, women's and gender studies professor Michael Bronski said. A wide range of faculty were asked to attend the meeting, including those from the women's and gender studies, economics, biology and history departments.
Lively described the meeting as extremely "powerful." The students invited faculty and administrators to read out loud signs that displayed offensive posts about protesters on Bored at Baker, an anonymous message board that serves as an independent forum for campus gossip.
"The protesters said that they felt unsafe and endangered," Bronski said. "They said that they were targeted by name for rape and assault at Bored at Baker."
Students reportedly ripped up a copy of Dartmouth's Principles of Community at the meeting to demonstrate how they feel the principles have been ignored.
While faculty members discussed the Greek system's role in the protests, women's and gender studies department chair Ivy Schweitzer said they did not propose any changes to Greek life.
"It is not the only thing to blame, but it is one of the prime factors we need to consider," she said.
After the discussion, the faculty decided unanimously to cancel classes on Wednesday. Bronski added that some faculty members are considering holding discussions on Thursday after classes resume.
Many faculty members had been unaware of the campus backlash since the protest, and most said they did not fully understand what Bored at Baker is.
Schweitzer said she found the online comments disturbing because it was impossible to track their authors.
"We don't know the extent, how many students are writing these threats," Schweitzer said. "It's terrifying because they are anonymous, and you could be sitting next to the person who wrote them and not even know it."
Comments on Bored at Baker include derogatory remarks about several protesters' sexualities as well as what protesters called rape and death threats. Many students unaffiliated with the protest, however, say the website is merely a forum for outrageous and unfounded conversation. Bored at Baker is currently offline. The forum's moderator, known as Jae Daemon, announced that the removal of Bored at Baker is unrelated to the current dialogue on the site, but a result of server problems. The site is expected to return today.
"I would never take anything seriously on Bored at Baker," Tyler Crowe '16 said, pointing out that the site is anonymous and unregulated.
Ankan Dhal '13 estimated that fewer than 150 students are actually on the site at a time, and said he has not accessed the site in over a year. While many log on at least a few times in their Dartmouth careers, few are active and consistent users, students said.
"At the end of the day, people who stick with it buy into it," Dhal said.
He emphasized that Bored at Baker, like Reddit, has a "hive mentality" that quickly compounds opinions to the lowest common denominator. Due to the total anonymity of the site, students can post anything without taking responsibility for their words.
Despite the nature of the forum, media relations director Justin Anderson told the Associated Press that the threats were unacceptable.
"Threats of the nature we were seeing online are never something we can abide," he said. Anderson declined The Dartmouth's requests for further comment.
Some attendees of the meeting suggested hosting a public rally on the Green that will be webcast to alumni and others off-campus, as well as a formal "teach-in" that will be led by members of the faculty, administration and student body, Lively said.
Programming will begin at 9:30 a.m. today with a faculty meeting and will run until 3 p.m. Events include a lecture by a social justice expert, a community gathering on the Green and "teach-ins" at locations across campus.
Faculty members disagreed on the timing of the events, and many interviewed said they were not aware that classes were canceled, as the email had been sent out late in the day.
Computer science professor Thomas Cormen said he was disappointed that the administration waited so long to inform community members and failed to involve faculty in the decision process.
"I am not happy that the administration did this on 14 hours' notice," he said. "We have courses that are run on a very tight schedule. Canceling a class has all sorts of ramifications down the line."
Cormen said he does not believe that the threats were a valid reason to cancel classes, and posted on his Twitter account that classes were canceled "not b/c of natural disaster, but b/c administration lets tail wag dog."
Economics professor Douglas Irwin said he plans to hold an optional class Wednesday that will not conflict with the administration's planned programming.
"The cancellation is disruptive to my schedule," Irwin said. "It is difficult for me to hold x-hours, and the students who I talked to didn't seem to mind classes being held."
Other professors, however, defended the College's decision. Schweitzer said the cancellation of classes will help make a statement against campus harassment.
"The consensus was that the administration really had to make a gesture about supporting the protesters' right not to be harassed and to have a safe environment at Dartmouth," she said.
The cancellation of classes may temporarily exacerbate the current tensions but will lead to "necessary conversations," Schweitzer said.
Bronski said that the day will give faculty members a chance to familiarize themselves with what is happening on campus.
Student Assembly president-elect Adrian Ferrari '14 said he found the threats on Bored at Baker "deplorable" and urged students to attend the events.
"The best thing anyone can do is show up," Ferrari said.
While he agreed with the administration's view that the comments online were unacceptable, current Student Assembly president Suril Kantaria '13 disapproved of the cancellation of classes.
"We're here to get an education," he said.
Some noted that the programming will be ineffective because a large portion of the campus will likely not participate.
"Students will just sleep in," David Garcia '16 said. "People won't attend. The majority of campus won't participate."
Mon Yuck Yu '12 said she was surprised that classes were canceled with such short notice, adding that she will likely not attend any of the events.
"I think they didn't really consult with the faculty," she said of the administration. "With a lot of scheduled exams, a lot of faculty were surprised about the cancellations too."
Student leaders discussed the current campus climate at a closed event at Casque and Gauntlet society on Tuesday evening. Attendees aimed to consider how the campus "can move forward collectively," Afro-American Society president Nikkita McPherson '13 said in an email to campus leaders. Students in attendance declined to comment because the event was designated as a "safe space."
Early Tuesday evening, a student affiliated with the protests trespassed The Dartmouth's offices with a video camera, claiming that The Dartmouth's reporting had led to her receiving threats.
In March, Oberlin College canceled classes after a reported sighting of a Ku Klux Klan member following a series of racially charged incidents.
