With over 85% of the vote, DePauw University faculty passed a motion in support of DePauw becoming a sanctuary campus.
The deliberation lasted for over an hour on Monday afternoon and resulted in an affirmative vote of 84 to 12.
The motion was presented at the faculty meeting by: Rebecca Alexander, assistant professor of education studies, Angela Castañeda, associate professor of anthropology and chair of the sociology and anthropology department, Glen Kuecker, professor of history, and Alejandro Puga, associate professor of modern languages and chair of the modern languages department.
According to Kuecker, a sanctuary campus would mean the University would not facilitate any immigration agencies to come in and forcibly remove undocumented students, Public Safety would not act on behalf of the federal government, and that the University would share statistics regarding the immigration status of students with the federal government unless they are required by court order.
During the meeting, President McCoy spoke about the University’s new support website for students. The website gives statements from the University, admissions and financial aid information, campus resources, and off-campus resources. The link is: http://www.depauw.edu/studentacademiclife/undocumented/
McCoy also spoke about how he is looking into legal procedures to develop DePauw as a sanctuary campus in addition to giving students resources.
“We are united in our support of DePauw students, and will always act in ways that reaffirm our shared values and our commitment to our students,” McCoy said. “It is important that each student knows and understands the resources available to them and that are full and valued members to our community.”
McCoy also took the time to clarify what DePauw currently does, and what it will continue to do. “We do not share information with outside agencies, and campus safety officers do not solicit information concerning status,” McCoy said. “We attract, enroll, and educate students without regard to race, gender, ethnicity, status, or sexual orientation.”
Other members of the faculty are committed to working to protect students.“It [the motion] speaks to our interconnectedness as a community,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs, Anne Harris.
Currently, Harris and Senior Adviser to the President for Diversity and Inclusion and Title IX Coordinator, Renee Madison, are working on scheduling free legal services to support undocumented students. In addition, a support group is being formed to help students.
“The idea is to be a flexible and responsive group that will meet in a sustained way to provide information and have effective knowledge available and accessible to students,” Harris said.
Many professors and faculty were supportive of the sanctuary campus. “We need to be proactive, not reactive,” said Doug Harms, professor of computer science. “We need a strong concrete statement that provides assurance that no matter what happens, we will be there.”
“A part of this seems to be standing together with other campuses who are here,” said Meryl Altman, professor of English and women’s studies. “The general idea here is a very practical thing.”
Some faculty members were concerned about how a sanctuary campus would be able to actually help students. “Are we misinforming students with a term that makes us feel pretty good about ourselves, but where we are offering a limited set of protections?” asked Kevin Moore, professor of psychology and neuroscience.
Mostly faculty felt very passionately about putting pressure on the Administration to make DePauw a sanctuary campus. “The members of our community who feel threatened need more than a website or committee to show them we are here to protect them,” said Harms. “When I met with students about this none of them said we need a website.”

JakeGint • Dec 7, 2016 at 8:52 pm
Seriously thinking of yanking my kid. I intentionally eschewed my own alma mater at Amherst College thinking DePauw could deliver a similar liberal arts experience without the ridiculous — unrealistic! — and debilitating world view of the nannyistic Northeastern schools. I guess I was wrong. Paying way too much for this garbage.
Bill Crosby • Dec 7, 2016 at 2:50 pm
Sorry DePauw, after graduating from there and sending two of my kids there, I’m done with you. You have lost your minds in the liberal malaise.
Caesar Tobar-Acosta • Dec 7, 2016 at 11:41 pm
How so? Would you like to elaborate on how we have lost our mind in this “liberal malaise” as you call it?
Bill Crosby • Dec 8, 2016 at 11:11 am
Supporting illegal immigrants by permitting them to attend DePauw, and presumably receiving aid to do so? A resolution to directly support breaking the law? If that’s not clear to you, I don’t know what would be. I know dozens of alumni organization members who are withdrawing their support for DePauw, myself included.
Daniela • Dec 8, 2016 at 1:02 pm
You do realize that DePauw already currently allows undocumented students, and has for years, right? This is only a measure to provide safety for students so that they are free to be students without fear of being deported back to a country that they may barely know. You are blessed that you live in a country where you don’t have to flee to escape cartel violence or to be able to put food on the table for your family. You should thank God that your kids are citizens of a country where they are able to receive an education without fear of being deported from the place they grew up to a culture that they might barely know. I’m sorry, but the hostility you have towards this resolution is absurd. I can assure you, the presence of these students (who have legal protection to study here under DACA, I might add) does not harm you or your children in any way. I really see no strong sound reason for anyone to object to it so strongly. Why is it so threatening to you?
Bill Crosby • Dec 8, 2016 at 5:38 pm
Nope, I didn’t realize that. I simply won’t support a university that supports breaking the law. It’s a simple as that. I don’t like the notion that people in this country illegally, get to avail themselves of the benefits of our government programs, including financial aid and scholarships. If you don’t think following our laws harms our nation and society in any way, I don’t know what to tell you. If you don’t see a reason for anyone to object to our university breaking established federal law, I don’t know what to tell you. You are pretty much affirming the “liberal malaise” that I referenced originally. I’m not for giving away our nation, or this notion of globalism that is prevalent in liberal culture today, and I won’t support a university and faculty that supports ideology that is consistent with this worldview. I’m sorry, but you asserting DePauw flagrantly violate our laws is what is “absurd”. I removed DePauw from my estate plan earlier today.
M. Williams • Dec 9, 2016 at 2:17 am
Daniela, you’re going to find when the administration has to finally comment about this that the simple fact of the matter is that neither DePauw nor any other private institution has the legal right to offer Sanctuary Campus protection to anyone. It’s a violation of federal law, plain and simple. The problem here is ethical: students should not be learning that it is proper and okay to simply thumb their noses at the laws of this country, or that their school should do the same. The dissatisfaction from alumni comes from instilling those values in the future leaders that DePauw is supposed to be producing, and doing so with reliance on alumni contributions. Just because undocumented students are allowed to study on our campus does not give the University the ability to protect them from other aspects of federal law. Being upset when your University chooses to follow federal law is anger that should be directed at changing the laws if you are so inclined, not asking the school to violate it. Write your congressman or congresswoman, vote every chance you get, take some political science courses, organize and raise money for the cause if you are so inclined. Don’t ask your school to violate the laws of the United States and not expect to get exactly what you have received and will continue to receive: a lot of supportive lip service from the administration and them telling you their hands are tied on this one.
Heinz • Dec 9, 2016 at 5:14 pm
Amen, M. Williams, amen. Without the rule of law, we have nothing. And we are blessed to live in a country where the people have the mechanisms to change them without anarchy. Universities are to prepare young minds for the real world where they will have both triumphs and defeats, but persevere nonetheless. Not everyone gets a trophy.