Dear Faculty and Staff,
As we come to the close of another academic year, I gratefully acknowledge your outstanding work through challenging times. I am always impressed and inspired by the dedication of this campus community. In the face of a pandemic, UMD students, faculty, and staff continued to excel as you adjusted to new ways of teaching, learning, research, and public service. Many thanks for all you do to advance the mission of UMD and the University of Minnesota.
This year also reminds us of how much work we have yet to accomplish. The tragic killings of George Floyd and Daunte Wright, and the protests, public debates, and racial and social justice conversations that followed, call upon us all to renew our commitment to a safe and welcoming environment at UMD that stamps out injustices and insensitivities. That means making it clear that racism, sexism, and all other forms of hateful behavior have no place here.
That responsibility begins with me. Last July, I outlined seven diversity and inclusion action steps to spur change at our campus. As the embedded status reports reflect, we have made those actions a priority, from engaging Dr. Cedric Alexander on a campus-wide community policing conversation to hiring initiatives to curriculum reassessment to meaningful training initiatives. In March, I spoke frankly with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics about the need to work on culture. Indicative of my expectations, that memorandum details the steps being taken to not only deter bias and prevent misconduct, but also to inspire positive changes.
There is much more we need to do, and I need your help. As we join the rest of the country in examining the ways we have contributed to the problem, overtly or implicitly, I ask you to join me in contributing to the solution. Those of us who are supervisors are expected to lead the charge to stop all forms of sexual misconduct and to stop microaggressions, as well as overt forms of intimidation and abuse, that can seep into the workplace if those in positions of authority do not set the right tone. None of us can be bystanders to injustice. Please continue to advocate and promote gender equity by calling out and reporting sexist and other inappropriate behavior.
We will continue to provide our campus community with training, development, and programs to support and raise each other up. Do not treat training as simply a requirement to be fulfilled. Employ what you learn. Do your part to check insensitive comments and talk with your colleagues as to how we can improve. Report improprieties. And these efforts need to be continuous.
Before the end of May, all systemwide employees are expected to complete a required employee educational module titled Preventing Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, and Retaliation. The newly formed UMD Sexual Misconduct Prevention Committee combines the work previously performed by two separate groups (the Sexual Violence Response Team and the Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Stalking and Dating Violence Committee) into one committee with a renewed focus on prevention.
There are a variety of other programs and activities occurring around campus to support us on this journey. We will continue to engage in ongoing actions and initiatives to improve climate and culture, and we are exploring others. There is not a single solution or action we can take to ensure a safe and welcoming climate here at UMD, it will require addressing this issue from all directions. But we will remain committed to that goal.
Finally, please know that I always welcome your suggestions and recommendations. As I mentioned in the memorandum to the Department of Mathematics and Statistics: “Our culture cannot be changed quickly, nor can the progress we have made to date be seen as ‘solving’ an issue. We are committed to working with you, day in and day out, to seek prevention, transparency, and justice that makes our community stronger together.”
Thank you for joining me in this most important of University missions.
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
