April 2, 2020
To: All students, staff and faculty
April 2, 2020
Dear Campus Community,
With overwhelming gratitude, we are proud of how our Bobcat community has gone to extraordinary lengths to protect our students, staff and faculty in the face of this pandemic, as well as to “flatten the curve” for the benefit of all. To create safety through all of this, our students have uprooted themselves while our staff and faculty have worked around the clock.
The personal adjustments you have each made have not been easy, and we thank you.
We are experiencing a global public health crisis that is affecting our communities and our families in deeply personal and sometimes devastating ways.
Unfortunately, crises do not affect everyone equally. Changes that are easy for some are nearly impossible for others, leaving many of our own valued community members feeling vulnerable, frustrated and unsafe.
Even as this crisis impacts us in different ways and we navigate unforeseen challenges, we are still a community. As such, it is important that continue to unite as a community grounded in our core values.
One of those core values is inclusiveness – valuing each unique member of our campus and greater communities.
As we continue to work and connect with each other through technology, we must center that inclusiveness. Dialogue, whether in person or remote, should be a respectful exchange of diverse ideas. We do not have to all agree but we can disagree respectfully.
We urge you to show up for each other with kindness, civility and respect in your everyday connections in these unique learning and sharing spaces. Below are some quick tips on how we can continue to do so:
- Engage in active listening and create space for psychological safety.
- Practice gratitude and mindfulness.
- Be civil in electronic communications especially email .
To help maintain our community, the Offices of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the Ombuds will continue to offer ways for you to connect, including:
- Monthly CDO Drop-In Hours
- Virtual Dialogue Series
- Keep Calm and Telecommute On
We are commUNITY and we are in this together.
With you now more than ever,
Dania Matos
Associate Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Callale Concon
University Ombudsperson
Pronouns: she/her/hers
