Dear Members of the Campus Community,
Last Thursday evening I hosted a virtual open forum to discuss demands presented to the university by our Multi-Identity Based Union.
More than 200 people were in attendance, several of whom requested that I share my opening remarks with the campus community. Those remarks are now available on the website here.
The entire President’s Cabinet was present, and I invited Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Uchenna Baker to moderate the forum, which included about 20 minutes of introductory remarks from me, brief remarks from Dr. Baker, and 80 minutes of questions and comments from those in attendance.
There is a great deal of work ahead of us. I urge you to continue to participate in and help advance the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion on our campus so that we can truly and fully be a welcoming community for all who learn, live, and work in our community. We can, and should, be a model for not only our community but for the larger communities of which we are a part.
As I said in my remarks on Thursday, what I hope to achieve is the creation of an environment where we can talk with and not past each other, where we name and correct the inequities of our past and present, and work together in good faith and with shared goals and values to create a better present and future.
We will continue to support our students and all members of our campus community in making their voices heard. We must not meet harm with more harm, or injustice with more injustice. Our work together will continue over the summer, and I look forward to future events, ideally in person, in the fall.
Isiaah
Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. | President.