Dear faculty colleagues,
We are writing to respond to the recent petition in which 109 faculty signatories questioned the administration’s handling of recent events on campus, as well as the timing and contents of our related communications. We also have been asked about the university’s ability to keep students safe.
We thank the petitioners for sharing these important concerns. It is our collective and mutual goal to rid this community of racist and threatening behaviors, whether perpetrated openly or anonymously. Together, we are all accountable for the climate on our campus, and we are eager to work together to build on the moments of honesty, empathy, and humanity that were shared by so many members of this community earlier in the semester. We are proud to have joined with student activists to frame the Colgate for All effort, and we are making great progress on the 21 action steps as well as a host of additional efforts that chart a future course for a more inclusive community. This is hard work that requires collaboration across campus.
Many who care deeply about Colgate have expressed their hopes and expectations that we will communicate about our efforts and investigations in a more detailed and timely fashion. We address these concerns and provide additional information for context, in an FAQ document that will be posted online by 1 p.m. today.
Before we meet at our informal faculty forum today — Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. in 207 Lathrop — we want to assure you that in each of our communications, we have shared as much as we could, while also respecting students’ rights and the university’s legal obligations. We also have tried to avoid putting any individual at risk. We have remained committed to resolving all complaints that are brought to our attention, and to being transparent with those matters that can be shared within the boundaries of student privacy.
We look forward to partnering with you in the weeks and months ahead; together, we have the important opportunity to shape the conversation on campus climate and safety, race relations, and the future of Colgate. We are eager to hear your ideas for how we can more effectively communicate and bring positive, constructive culture change to this campus.
Sincerely,
Jeff Herbst, President
Doug Hicks, Provost and Dean of the Faculty
Suzy Nelson, Vice President and Dean of the College
Colgate,
We cannot operate with a “business as usual” attitude. These efforts on the part of the university to save face–they’re not enough.