Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,
At DePaul, we do everything we can to make our campuses safe and welcoming spaces for every member of our university community. As part of our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our community members, we regularly review university policies and procedures to ensure they remain relevant, effective, and responsive to the evolving needs of our campus environment.
Today, I am writing to let you know that I am approving an
Identity Verification Policy that requires students, faculty, and staff to temporarily remove masks or face coverings upon request from a Public Safety officer. This new policy is effective
today.
This change addresses a gap in our policies and is a needed update for situations when officers must verify the identity of individuals on university property. Unfortunately, these are not abstract concerns, as masked harassment is an issue we have confronted on our campus. This policy allows Public Safety to identify individuals who are concealing their faces while engaging in illegal or threatening activity.
In line with our principles of shared governance, we brought the draft policy to established advisory groups and councils to gather feedback. Since December, senior leaders have met with faculty, staff, and students to discuss concerns. We took this input to heart, and many of the changes requested, such as accountability mechanisms and training requirements, are incorporated in the final version.
This includes training on how to minimize bias, as well as how to verify identity in a way that is respectful and minimally disruptive. Faculty Council and Staff Council have both voted on and endorsed this policy. I appreciate the time, effort and thoughtful engagement of our shared governance groups to recommend improvements.
I would like to emphasize a few specific elements of the identity verification policy, which strives to take a balanced approach to protecting our community while also deterring masked harassment:
- This policy is an extension of existing policies that require students, faculty, and staff to identify themselves to Public Safety officers upon request to verify that they are members of the university community.
- Public Safety can verify the identity of any individual on university property and request the removal of a mask or face covering when there is a clear reason to do so.
- Refusal to comply can result in removal from campus or referral for disciplinary action.
- Public safety officers receive regular policy training to ensure they act fairly and consistently.
- The policy outlines clear procedures for requesting medical or religious accommodations, as needed. We heard and understand concerns expressed specifically for these groups, and we believe the policy creates clear and respectful guidance.
I’m thankful for the continued commitment of our faculty, staff, and students to take care of each other. Together, we will continue to foster an environment where safety, belonging and community care remain cornerstones of our DePaul community.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Manuel
President