Tag Archives: letter

A change of tone! Father McFarland’s complete/unedited letter (of remorse) to Worcester City Council re: Holy Cross college partiers

November 16, 2010

Dear City Councilors,

On behalf of the entire Holy Cross Community of faculty, staff, and students, I thank you for recognizing the progress made over the past year in improving communication and addressing neighborhood concerns about the off-campus behavior of some Holy Cross students.

I want to assure you that concerns have been heard and the College takes them very seriously. There have been some setbacks, but we are addressing them with both immediate actions and sustainable change.

In cooperation with Worcester Police, the College has already taken steps to control student behavior in the neighborhood and we have begun work on a more comprehensive plan to advance relationships of consistent and mutual respect in the College Hill neighborhood. We remain committed to following up on every incident of off-campus misbehavior and applying appropriate sanctions.

Our goal is to implement additional practical and enforceable changes to how we respond to behavior that disrupts the College Hill neighborhood.

While these changes will take some time to develop and implement, we look forward to sharing the results of our collective efforts with you.

As President of the College of the Holy Cross, I take responsibility for and will lead these efforts; but the enforceablility and good working relationships required for real progress is dependent on the continued involvement of the reliable and accountable expertise of leaders throughout the College. To that end, I am joined by Timothy R. Austin, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean; Michael Lochhead, Vice President for Administration and Finance; Jacqueline D. Peterson, Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students; Paul Irish, Assistant to the Dean of Students and Director of the Office of Student Conduct; Robert Hart, Director of Public Safety; Ketherine Robertson, Special Assistant for Community Relations; and others throughout my administration.

The success of this effort relies on the College, City officials, Worcester Police, neighbors and students working together in mutually respectful and collaborative ways. We have indeed made progress in addresssing quality-of-life issues for our closest neighbors, and we look forward to building on what has been accomplished.

Very truly yours,

Michael C. McFarland, S.J.
President [College of the Holy Cross]

“The Purple Letter” (aka letter to Holy Cross pres. from Worcester City Council)

editor’s note: This letter (below), signed by the Worcester City Council, will most likely be discussed tonight at Worcester’s City Council meeting (7 p.m., Channel 12 on your TV, if you don’t want to make the trek to City Hall). It was mailed to Father McFarland, president of Holy Cross college, November 15, 2010.

Hooray!!!

The Letter:

Rev. Michael McFarland
President, College of the Holy Cross
One College Street
Worcester, MA 01610

Dear Father McFarland:

We, the members of the Worcester City Council, are frustrated and disappointed by the repeated examples of poor behavior by some students who attend the College of the Holy Cross. We write this letter to you to reinforce our support for City Manager O’Brien’s efforts to engage you personally and ask for your leadership to change the long-standing culture of disrespecting the neighborhoods of Mount Saint James. Continue reading “The Purple Letter” (aka letter to Holy Cross pres. from Worcester City Council)