Welcome to the Spring 2025 Semester
January 27, 2025
Dear Stony Brook Campus Community,
As we embark on the promise of a new spring semester, I hope you are as eager as I am to embrace the possibilities and wonderful traditions that have long defined what makes this time of year so special for our Stony Brook community of students, faculty, staff, and devoted healthcare workers.
I also recognize that numerous recent federal executive orders have raised questions and concerns. Please know we hear you and we see you. During moments like this, it is so important that we come together as a community to reaffirm the values that underscore who we are and guide what we do.
At the heart of our university lies a resolute commitment to delivering the highest quality education, research, and healthcare; facilitating opportunity and upward mobility to members of our community; and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive regardless of background, nationality, or circumstance.
These principles are not merely aspirational—they are the foundation upon which our institution has been built and the compass that directs our path forward. Stony Brook University is a place where ideas are exchanged freely and differences are celebrated as sources of strength and learning.
We will stay true to these values and protect the well-being of our entire community while we also adhere to the law. Stony Brook upholds the SUNY Board of Trustees Resolution to vigorously defend the privacy rights of students, and the University requires a subpoena, court order, search warrant, or other applicable exception to FERPA, prior to releasing student information to immigration and law enforcement. This includes information about national origin, religion, and immigration status.
If you have concerns about immigration-related issues, you are encouraged to call the New York State Office for New Americans hotline at 1-800-566-7636 to access answers to immigration and naturalization questions and for referrals to free legal help and programs.
I am also aware that the pause in various federally funded research projects is a source of great concern. If you know of or receive such direction from a federal agency to stop funded activity, please notify your Dean and the Office of Research and Innovation (formerly the Office of the Vice President for Research). As we learn more details, we will provide appropriate guidance to the research community.
As we seek to understand the evolving impact of these initial executive orders and resulting directives from federal agencies, we remain committed to fostering an educational environment that welcomes everyone, advancing research of the highest international standards, healing and protecting our patients, and building an inclusive community.
Together, we will navigate this moment with strength, compassion, and belief in our shared mission. I look forward to all that we can do this semester, and I am relying on your continued commitment to our university to make further progress. Whether you are new to Stony Brook, or a seasoned Seawolf, I encourage you to take part in campus events and activities, which are deeply steeped in tradition. The year 2025 can be a tremendous year for you and for Stony Brook. I look forward to the progress we will make together. Thank you for all you do for Stony Brook.
Sincerely,
Richard L. McCormick
Interim President