March 9, 2020

The College of Arts and Sciences is working diligently to provide a welcoming, safe, and equitable academic home for diverse groups of students and faculty. However, the concerns voiced by our protesting students demonstrate that there is much more for all of us to consider and address on a systemic, institutional level.

With our broad range of disciplines and faculty expertise, A&S has a unique, specific role to play not only in delivering the liberal arts core -- with its central goals of encouraging critical analysis and thinking and appreciation for different viewpoints -- but also in enhancing SEM 100 and its mission to provide a forum for dialogue for students and faculty of different backgrounds. Of course, our work cannot and will not only focus on appropriate curricular offerings delivered by diverse, expert faculty, but also on ensuring that we strengthen critical and relevant student support structures. I take these commitments seriously and am eager to work with faculty, staff and students to achieve these goals.