President R. Gerald Turner sent out an email to the SMU community on Nov. 2 regarding an on-campus polling place and respectful behavior on Election Day.
In the email, President Turner said Moody Coliseum will serve as a polling place on campus for the SMU community and Dallas County.
President Turner acknowledged the SMU community is nearing the end of a taxing year, filled with racial upsets and strains caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and the impact this has on the election.
While members of the SMU community are bound to have different political opinions and affiliations, President Turner urges them to respect one another and minimize provocative expressions, both physically and verbally, in-person and online. He reminded students, faculty, and staff of how imperative it is they honor each other’s individuality and differences on Election Day and every other day because SMU is a community at the end of the day.
President Turner reminded the students of the expectations set in the Student Code of Conduct, as well as expectations set for appropriate employee behavior.
President Turner also reinforced how the expectations set for students and employees extend into the digital realm and how everyone must remain conscious of what they are posting on social media.
If students or employees experience behavior not aligning with the set expectations, they are encouraged to contact the SMU Police or to report it to the Bias Education Response Team.
To conclude his email, President Turner recognized there are likely many members of the SMU community who would like to talk about issues related to the election after the fact, and the university is considering how best to serve them. SMU will have more to say about this within the next few days.
As a final remark, President Turner encourages members of the SMU community who have not yet voted to exercise their right to do so and participate in and respect our democracy.
