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“This is clearly an attempt to scare students and is meant to have a chilling effect on our participation in the protests of the RNC,” Students for a Democratic Society organizer Stephanie Taylor said in a statement Thursday.
The e-mail sent to students from Vice Provost for Student Affairs Jerry Rinehart was dated Tuesday. In addition to welcoming students back to school, the e-mail also noted that there might be traffic issues due to the convention. It also addressed protests.
“While I encourage you to engage in the political process, please use good judgment regarding participation in activities that might violate state or local laws or the University’s Student Conduct Code,” Rinehart wrote. He reminded students that the conduct code extends to activities that take place off campus, and that illegal activity could lead to discipline.
Rinehart told The Associated Press that the message was a hard one to send because “we really do want the students to be involved and feel passionate about the leadership of our country.”
He said the student conduct code changed in the last two years and he wanted to remind students that off-campus actions could become student conduct issues. Reminders like this are also sent out around Halloween and other events.
“It’s simply trying to do our due diligence,” he said.
Students for a Democratic Society says it is organizing buses from the university’s Twin Cities campuses to bring students to protests scheduled for Sept. 1 and Sept. 4.
“We will not be dissuaded from joining permitted marches and protests of the RNC because the university administration tells us that we could get in trouble,” said group organizer Grace Kelley.
