Dear Members of the Campus Community:
As many of you are aware from recent news reports, there has been a resolution of issues related to the contract grievances filed by Associate Professor of Psychology John Broida.
Today, in response to the Faculty Review Committee created last spring, I’m announcing the formation of a committee of students, faculty and administrators to review our existing internal policies relating to student complaints. The members of the committee, who will be appointed later this month, will be asked to determine if our policies provide a fair and effective means of addressing student complaints. They will report back to me directly with their findings and recommendations.
In addition to announcing the formation of this committee, I also want to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to providing all members of the campus community with an environment where open debate and dialogue can flourish. At the same time, this free and open exchange of ideas must be carried out in an environment that also respects both individual and contractual rights and responsibilities.
We also must never lose sight of the fact that the quality of our debate and dialogue is enriched by the diversity of our students, our faculty, our staff and our curriculum. This university will continue its journey toward becoming a more diverse and welcoming place. I firmly believe that a more diverse university provides all of us with a greater understanding of the richness and complexity of our society.
We have made strides toward providing a campus climate that integrates people of diverse cultural, ethnic and racial experiences. We have more work to do but thanks to the leadership of Provost Joe Wood, and members of the faculty and staff, we are making progress.
For example, from now through December Women’s Studies is presenting a series of faculty seminars entitled “Gender, Race and Pedagogy,” which will address how the university can support students of different backgrounds. Other campus forums also are addressing the issue. Faculty in the schools and colleges throughout the University are actively engaged in curricular and instructional review and development, which includes a focus on the educational challenge of diversity.
In addition, our Office of Campus Diversity and Equity has broadened its scope considerably over the last five to six years to include a Multicultural Student Affairs Office and an employee/community outreach staff member who is responsible for helping us to attract more people of color to the faculty and staff. Last fall, we also added an assistant director of admissions who is responsible for recruitment of multicultural students. This position was added in direct response to concerns that we give more of an emphasis to recruiting students of color. We have already seen an improvement as a result of this new emphasis.
Everyone – faculty, staff and the administration – is dedicated to providing students with the best possible learning environment, both inside and outside of the classroom. It’s important that we continue to ensure that our campus climate is marked by a spirit of academic freedom that respects all viewpoints.
Sincerely,
Richard L. Pattenaude
President