UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 5, Page 4                                
October 1, 1992                                                
Our sense of community                                    
                                                          
     To all members of the campus community:                    
                                                                
     Our whole sense of community rests on our level of trust in and 
understanding of one another. It is that sense of community that has 
been violated by the incident that occurred on the morning of Sunday,
Sept. 20. Thus, the entire University must regret this unfortunate   
incident. It has led to serious allegations expressed by members of  
our community about campus and city police procedures and about the  
University's concern and compassion for its students.           
     Several things are known about the incident, and we are intent on   
gathering any and all information that might shed more light on this 
situation. We are seeking the truth, as we collect this information, 
as we go about gaining as complete an understanding as possible of the   
incident.                                                       
     We all want the information-gathering process to lead to truth  
and to understanding. We hope to reach our conclusions quickly, but  
the larger goal is to be careful, thorough and open.            
     I have listened to and learned from the concerned members of our   
community who have come forward. I believe more strongly than ever   
that members of our community deserve to feel safe and protected on  
our campus, and that the institution must strive to provide an  
environment where all of us can feel secure as we pursue our    
activities.                                                     
     We must work together to make this happen. We must. I urge any  
member of our community with relevant information about the events of
Sept. 20 to report it to me or any of the following individuals:               
                                                          
       * Timothy Brooks, dean of students, 831-8939;            
       * Judith Gibson, assistant vice president for affirmative
          action and multicultural programs, 831-8735;          
       * William Hogan, Newark chief of police, 366-7100; or    
       * Stuart Sharkey, vice president for student life, 831-2707.  
                                                                
     All information gathered will be carefully reviewed and, where  
appropriate, further action will be taken. On this, you have my word.
I have requested and will receive reports from Newark Police and
University Police based on their internal investigations of the 
incident.                                                       
     Those reports will be shared with the Human Relations Division of   
the state of Delaware, headed by Andrew Turner. Mr. Turner will 
appoint a review panel so as to ensure an impartial assessment of the
situation. This guidance will be important to our efforts to make our
campus a supportive and welcoming place for all members of the  
University of Delaware community.                               
     In adversity, there is opportunity. In the present case, while we   
deeply apologize for and regret the incident that has occurred, we are   
committed to making our campus and our community safe and supportive 
for all.                                                        
                                                                
     David Roselle                                              
     President