Chatham University’s Strategic Response Team (SRT) is a group of Chatham faculty, staff and students who collaborate to find ways to address and comply with federal policy changes while maintaining the University’s core values.
The SRT’s latest email, sent March 14 to the Chatham community, announced recent updates regarding grants and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy, in addition to changes in titles and descriptions for several Chatham events and scholarships to comply with executive orders about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
The formation of the SRT was announced Feb. 11 in an email from Chatham University President Rhonda Phillips that emphasized the administration’s support for student wellbeing in response to concern and uncertainty related to major federal policy changes.
The “university uses its mission and core values of sustainability; women’s leadership and gender equity; community engagement; and diversity and inclusion as its guidestar,” stated Phillips in the email.
SRT meets regularly to discuss policy changes that could potentially impact Chatham and its students. Concerns that are raised to the members of SRT are brought up in the meetings as potential issues that may be necessary for the university to adapt to or address.
“There are campuses right now doing all kinds of adjustments and measures to preemptively think about what might be on the line,” said Dean of Students Chris Purcell, who chairs the SRT with Chief of Staff Patsy Kraeger. “It’s been happening very quickly so it’s been, you know, doing our best to keep up to make sure we’re addressing things that are going on.”
SRT members also collaborate on emails to be sent to the Chatham community with updates on any changes, both in terms of federal and University policy.
“It’s obviously difficult,” Purcell said. “The feedback we’ve got in the group is that there’s a lot of anxiety out there so that if we communicate, that’s helpful.”
Since the formation of the group was announced, SRT has created a Federal Action Updates page on my.chatham where students, faculty and staff can find more information.
“There’s so much going on, and it’s good to have that response from a group of people on campus,” said Dom Randall ‘27, student government executive president and a student representative for SRT. “People in the administration, in different departments [are] working together to address those problems so we can understand it a little better and also so the staff can understand it a little better.”
There are currently 13 total members of SRT, according to Randall, who is the only student representative in the group. Purcell expressed interest in collaborating with a graduate student in the future.
“It’s always better to have a larger group of folks in the room helping make decisions from their different perspectives,” Purcell said.
SRT has so far sent out three emails following three meetings, and aspires “to communicate regularly and respond to community feedback as we continue our work,” according to the Feb. 24 email. Randall said that the work of SRT is a step in the right direction, but not necessarily a solution to the problem.
“I do hope for the administration to get out here a little bit more, kind of hear us, see us, look us in the eyes and actually talk to us rather than email us,” Randall said. “There’s a lot going on that is necessary for us to address, but we can’t address all of it in the Strategic Response Team.”
According to the Feb. 24 email, the group is still forming and welcomes new members and feedback. Students, faculty and staff who are interested can contact Purcell or the Office of Student Affairs for more information.
“It’s a really good atmosphere to come and chat about the various situations on campus, especially trying to be more transparent,” Randall said.
