Dear School of Public Health community,
As we enter the winter holiday season, I want to acknowledge that this has been another particularly challenging quarter and that many members of our community have been deeply affected by the events in the Middle East.
In the turbulence of the last couple of years, the University of Washington School of Public Health (UW SPH) community has strived to develop a culture of turning to each other for support without wondering where others stand on the issues that matter to us. The current conflict we are witnessing arises from a history that is both complex and nuanced. Many members of our community are experiencing grief over the events of the last two months and are experiencing horror over the large number of civilian casualties on both sides. I have also heard from members of our community that their grief has been amplified by the lack of consensus within the public health community about the origins of the conflict and how to best respond to them. I also have heard from several members of our community that not talking about the conflict has made the situation harder to bear.
I want to state clearly that I care deeply about every member of this community, regardless of your stance and beliefs on this and other issues, and I believe that we can come together and support each other despite our differences. At a minimum, let us rally around a rejection of Islamophobia, antisemitism, and other forms of discrimination and hatred. I am also hopeful that we can all share an understanding that a commitment to free speech does not relieve us of an obligation to treat each other with dignity and kindness.
Over the last two months, I have received many requests from students, staff and faculty for sources of information about the conflict. The Middle East Center at the UW has compiled a list of resources on the Israel-Hamas conflict, which includes a list of reliable news and media sources that represent a variety of perspectives on the Middle East. In addition, the World Health Organization and American Public Health Association have released calls to allow for humanitarian aid to be delivered to the region.
As is the case for many charged issues, fake news and misinformation challenge our ability to make sense of the situation in the Middle East. I encourage you to refer to this UW resource on identifying and confronting fake news and misinformation. Even with information obtained from generally reputable sources of information, I try to frame the insights they offer by considering the following:
- Who is providing the information: What background and expertise do they have and what biases and perspectives are they likely to have? Are the sources quoted in the article diverse or do they predominantly support one viewpoint?
- What was the timing of when this article was written or panel was recorded and how might the timing of specific events have influenced what the author or speaker has to say or has chosen to focus on?
- What is the intended audience and purpose that the author or organizer has for this article or webinar? How might this affect what information and positions are included? What is likely to be missing and how might I obtain that missing information?
- How is language used? Are there emotionally charged words that seem to carry a positive or negative connotation? Are the emotionally charged words equally applied to opposing views? Is there evidence of stereotyping or oversimplification? Are there any visual elements that suggest bias?
- If the article or speaker reinforces ideas or opinions that I might already hold: how might I obtain additional perspectives from another source?
- If the article or speaker challenges ideas or opinions that I already hold: what are the assumptions that I have made (perhaps unwittingly) that bear further reflection on my part?
I have also received requests from faculty for guidance about whether and how to handle conversations about the crisis in and outside classroom settings. I encourage all members of the SPH community to familiarize themselves with both the UW guidance and policies on Freedom of Expression and the Washington State Ethics Act. For conversations with members of our community outside the classroom, I have found it helpful to ascertain both what each of the individual wishes to discuss and what outcome they are hoping to achieve through the conversation in advance, so that we are not talking at cross purposes and I am responding appropriately.
While faculty have a great deal of latitude about what to cover in their courses, the general expectation is that they will cover content matter that is relevant to the advertised topic(s) of the course and on which they have expertise. Instructors who wish to teach specific public health aspects of the conflict in Israel and Gaza in their courses should be mindful of the positional power that they hold and that students may not feel comfortable expressing discomfort or dissent. Likewise, students should be aware Student Code of Conduct imposes limits on their actions, particularly in classroom settings.
Some best practices for faculty who wish to teach humanitarian or public-health relevant aspects of the current conflict in their courses include:
- Consider whether covering this topic could be better handled during office hours or another non-classroom setting;
- Let students know in advance if you plan to discuss topics that they may find particularly distressing;
- Be clear about what aspect of the conflict you will be discussing (e.g., access to potable water in an environmental health class) and what aspects of the conflict are outside of the scope of your course (e.g., individual positions on the conflict);
- Explicitly discuss how the instructor will handle the situation if the conversation goes in an unanticipated direction or individuals bring biased or inappropriate language into the classroom.
- If possible, give students the option of not participating (e.g., by scheduling the topic at the end of a class session and allowing students who do not want to participate to depart prior to starting the topic).
Faculty who do not feel comfortable moderating challenging conversations or topics should feel empowered to say so and to direct students to other opportunities for learning and discussion on the topic. For instance, the Jackson School (in the College of Arts and Sciences) will be offering a 2-credit course on the War in the Middle East in winter 2024 (JSIS 478D); some of the guest lectures in this course will also be open to the public. The Stroum Center and the Jackson School are also developing additional events in the winter quarter with the active support of the president's office, the Dean’s Office in the College of Arts and Sciences and other academic units, as well as other partners within Seattle. I welcome input about what other resources would be helpful and will continue to share additional ones with you as they become available.
Finally, it is worth noting that the holidays, while traditionally considered to be a time for togetherness and joy, are also one of the hardest times of the year for many people. This is particularly true when we choose to come together with loved ones who may have very different views than our own about world events. Please take care of yourselves and treat yourselves with kindness and grace. I highly recommend this: a great piece in UW News with advice from experts with tips for well-being during the holidays. Personally, I find that time in nature and taking breaks for alone time can be really important when spending time with family over the holidays. We have also provided below a more complete list of resources and supports that are available to members of the UW and SPH communities.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out directly to me ([email protected]), if you have concerns or suggestions about how we can better support our community during these difficult times. I am also happy to meet with members of our community individually or in small groups. To set up a time to meet, please contact JeShawna Schmidt ([email protected]).