Campus protocol on external law enforcement

Dear campus community:

As we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I write to reaffirm UIC's commitment to protecting the rights and safety of all students, faculty, staff, patients, and visitors on our campus. We bear - and we welcome - the particular responsibility that comes with being one of the most diverse college campuses in the nation.

In reaffirming our commitment to upholding a safe and welcoming campus environment, I want to remind you of longstanding protocols at UIC regarding interactions with off-campus law enforcement officials, as well as those regarding email or paper-based inquiries. A separate email will follow with information about support resources available to campus.

Engagement with External Law Enforcement Protocol

• If a non-UIC law enforcement officer makes inquiries regarding any student, staff, faculty, patient, or visitor on campus or requests access to any campus building, immediately refer the officer to UIC Police (943 W. Maxwell St., Chicago, IL, 60608) and call UIC Police directly (312-996-2830) to inform them of the presence of non-UIC law enforcement.
• The protocol under (1) includes any federal immigration officer who makes inquiries about the immigration or citizenship status of any student, staff, faculty, patient, or visitor on campus.
• If any documents are presented, please do not accept them. Direct the officers to UIC Police. Again, call UIC Police directly (312-996-2830) to inform them of the situation.
• If bringing in university counsel is warranted, UIC Police will make that referral. You may also call university counsel directly (312-996-7762), but we encourage you to route all of these situations through UICPD.

Email or Other Digital or Paper-Based Inquiries Protocol

Should you receive a request for information from an external party that is outside of your normal interactions via email, other digital platforms, or through hard-copy documents, please forward that email/information to [email protected] and refrain from responding yourself.

The basis for our approach

This protocol ensures a measure of safeguarding and care for our campus community.

• As trained professionals, UIC Police can responsibly determine the validity of warrants and subpoenas and assess the authenticity of the credentials presented.
• UICPD works regularly with university counsel and can ensure our legal team is kept fully apprised.
• The Office of the Chancellor can determine who best to handle electronic or paper-based inquiries based on the full legal, educational, and health care context surrounding the inquiry. This is designed to provide consistency in our approach across the entire campus and health system.

On this day, these words from Dr. King ring especially loudly in my ears: "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."

Dr. King's words remind us to remain steadfast in our mission to deliver the broadest access to the highest levels of educational, research, and clinical excellence. In the complicated days ahead, know that whatever arises, we will face it together as a community.

With my very best regards,

Marie Lynn Miranda, PhD
Chancellor