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Dear Cal State East Bay community,

Like me, whether you are from the US or an international student, you likely stayed up late watching election returns and woke up to more news. You may have attended our campus election watch parties last night. Regardless of your political affiliation, I know that this week may be difficult for many as we go about our everyday business on campus and at home. 

The outcomes of this election and its impact will play out in the following months. The candidates and the platforms they ran on were very different and the results of the election leave many in our community with strong emotions. Please remember to be kind to others. Please give grace to each other. And also please reach out for help if you are in need. We have counseling services available for students and employees, Our Student Diversity and Inclusion Resource Centers (DISARC) and Undocumented Student Resource Center are available to provide additional support and services to students and employees.

Whatever your political affiliation, please know that our campus will remain committed to equity, social justice, and protecting and supporting our students, staff, and faculty. Cal StateEast Bay remains an inclusive institution, ready to address challenges and changes that may come our way. We will remain an institution that encourages freedom of expression, dialogue, and differing perspectives, within a frame of being an academic institution which means that we hold each other accountable in terms of civility and respect as a campus community. 

The campus has many resources for students and employees who are in need of assistance, desire conversation, or want to process the week’s events. 

Dialogue, Decompress, Digest- SPACE OPEN TODAY from 10am to 2pm today in UU 311. 

We are offering a post-election dialogue space hosted by the Department of Political Science, Office of Diversity, Counseling Services, and RAW to include dialogue facilitators along with games, food, and arts and crafts. Please drop in for as long or as little as you need to connect with others today.

Meditation Spaces

We have two meditation spaces, one in the CORE building open to all campus, and one in the RAW, where students and members can use the Relaxation room for quiet reflection or meditation. 

Student Counseling Services Resources

Our campus counseling services has a web page resource on “Managing Election-Related Stress.” Suggestions include: staying in the present moment, making time for regular self-care, limiting news intake, following reputable news sources, being mindful of social media use, among other useful advice. Counseling services also has Social Justice and Wellness page for ideas about how to stay balanced as you engage in action.

Lastly, I want to express my gratitude for all of the members of our community who help hold us together through good times and challenging times. Your dedication and support for the well-being and success of our students and our employees is invaluable. 

With care and support,

Cathy Sandeen

President