Dear Colleagues:
Now that the 2017-18 academic year has drawn to a close, we wanted to thank all of you for the good work you did in helping to reset the narrative and the campus climate in the turbulent wake of May 5, 2017. The events on this campus in late spring of that year were difficult and painful for many. Despite differences in the sources of personal identity or political persuasions, your ability to reach across those divides in the 2017-18 academic year to work in common toward equity, fairness, civility, freedom and decency on our campus as May 5, 2018, approached was impressive indeed. The emergence of Unity Day as an early concept was brought successfully to bear this year and will endure as an annual tradition to recognize the ties that bind us. The end of the 2017-18 academic year was viewed by our students, no matter the sources of their identities, as a positive step toward understanding. Bias incidents were negligible. Good will was in abundance.
Thank you all for your partnership in making it so. Much work remains, to be sure, but a greater sense of optimism is taking root. We greatly appreciate your efforts over the past year.
With best wishes,
P. T. Vasudevan
Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
John T. Kirkpatrick
Senior Vice Provost for Student Life
and Dean of Students