Reaffirming our commitment to fostering a welcoming culture and sense of belonging

Dear Campus Community:

With a new administration in Washington, D.C., several policy changes have been introduced through executive orders. We appreciate that some members of our campus may be feeling anxious and unsettled as a result. Consistent with our practice whenever new laws, regulations, or rules are implemented, we are thoroughly reviewing these orders with our national associations to determine their possible impact on the university and members of our campus community. We also recognize that legal challenges and legislative actions are a regular part of the lawmaking process, making it likely that many of these new policies will continue to develop over time.

The members of the Cabinet and I want to take this moment to reaffirm our strong and unwavering commitment to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for every member of our campus community to learn, live and work. We are a campus community that honors our shared qualities and embraces our differences. We remain steadfast in our belief that an inclusive learning and work environment creates an essential foundation for a broad and stimulating liberal arts education.

Next week, I will travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with federal officials on both sides of the aisle. On behalf of the University of Puget Sound, I look forward to being a voice for our community and the higher education sector.

If you have questions or feedback about our commitment to fostering a welcoming culture and sense of belonging on campus, please contact the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity at vpdiversity@pugetsound.edu. The University Chaplain is also available as a confidential resource to all members of the campus community.

With more executive orders and other federal action likely to come, I invite all of us to remain engaged in thoughtful and civil discourse and feel confident that the university will continue to be guided by our core values. We will provide future updates to the campus community with any further developments that affect the university.

Sincerely,

Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. | President