TO:  University Community

FROM:  Mr. Hiram G. Martinez

           Interim Assistant to the President for Social Equity & Diversity

    RE:  Cyber bullying cannot be tolerated

Recent events involving the misuse of the Internet have raised concern on campuses nationally.  This heightened concern presents an opportunity to remind us all of the inherent responsibility that defines what it means to be a member of the Millersville campus community.  As faculty, students, staff and administrators, we share a collective responsibility to ensure that Millersville University is a place that values the diversity of opinion and perspectives, and where each member of our community can feel safe and supported. 

The tragic events last year at Rutgers University, University of Michigan, and high schools across the country, coupled with the recent movie "The Social Network", underscore the huge changes taking place in our world - the easy access to instant communication and the power people have to use that networking for greater "interconnectedness," but also the possibility that it can be used for thoughtless or malicious aims.  The evolving use of technology - social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook), blogs, text messaging, web cams, and Twitter, just to name a few, are wonderful ways the world stays connected.  At the same time, these platforms present opportunities for misuse and for people to harm others when the technology is used without regard to consequences and without respect for one another.

Please take the time to thoughtfully reflect on your own attitudes and beliefs about privacy and respect for others.  It is essential for the safety and well-being of our campus community and our society that we continue to ensure the highest level of respect, integrity, and decency in our interactions with one another. This is in fact, the Millersville way, and strikes at the very core of our institutional values, mission and strategic directions. 

For more information and resources about cyber bullying and to identify ways to combat it, please click on the following link: Cyber bullying