July 7, 2015

Statement from SVSU President Donald Bachand

I am aware of the extraordinary attention surrounding a traffic stop last February involving University Police and one of our students. I am taking this matter very seriously. As a University president entrusted with the safety and welfare of students and as a former police officer, I recognize this situation is complicated and requires careful review. I also understand that our students come from many different communities and arrive with different expectations for how to interact with police.

I have directed our University Police to review their policies and procedures on how we deal with students in similar situations. This will begin immediately. I am also stepping up our efforts to ensure good relationships between our University Police and the campus community in general.

Many concerns have been expressed in regards to this incident. I want students, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors to our campus to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts on all of the important issues that this incident has generated. You can e-mail  presidentsoffice@svsu.edu.Your messages will be read only by me and my staff. 

I hope to meet with DaJuawn Wallace, the student, personally to discuss this matter. We are working to make this happen.

My staff and I also will be working closely with Student Association and other interested parties to ensure we are addressing those who have concerns.

We are committed to treating everyone at SVSU with respect, and we will continue to stay abreast of this evolving situation and keep you informed.

Sincerely,

President Bachand