To IU Southeast Students, Faculty, and Staff,
In response to the recent tragic events in Minneapolis and the demonstrations in cities around the nation, IU President McRobbie wrote yesterday: “… what is happening in Minneapolis and other cities around the nation serves as a powerful reminder that we have a special obligation to work to ensure that our campus communities are places where differences of all kinds, whether of race, ethnicity or belief, are respected, valued and protected, and where hatred, bigotry and intolerance will be powerfully condemned.”
IU Southeast fully supports this statement. We must remain vigilant in our efforts to foster a safe, inclusive, and equitable learning environment for all members of the IU Southeast community.
To faculty and staff, we must encourage civil discourse without giving way to hateful rhetoric or intimidation. We must support open intellectual discussion without ostracizing members of our campus family on the basis of race, religion, creed, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. We must equip our students with the skills to engage with and respond to difficult conversations and issues with critical thinking and tolerance.
To our students, our goal at IU Southeast is to ensure you receive the best educational experiences in order to be successful and earn your degree. To echo President McRobbie, our job is to provide you with a campus environment where you feel safe, supported, and respected.
I am proud to be your chancellor. Remember to check in with your black and brown students and colleagues. This is an emotional time, and they need our support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ray Wallace
Chancellor