December, 2015

 

We, the Faculty of the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver, stand in solidarity with students, staff, and faculties across the nation in opposition to racial discrimination on college campuses. We believe that racially hostile environments are counter-productive to the democratic aims of American higher education. We believe that diversity in student bodies, faculty and staff, and the curriculum are essential to American higher education. In response to the student protests emerging across the United States that call for the recognition that students of color face discrimination and that colleges and universities have an obligation to address such discrimination, we write this letter to say:

We see you.

We hear you.

We will do our best to do better by you.

On Tuesday, November 17, 2015, the Faculty of the Morgridge College of Education unanimously supported a three-part agenda for engaging in dialogue and action about campus racial climate in higher education. This agenda includes: 1) crafting a letter of support for students of color, in particular, and all students, generally, in solidarity with efforts to address hostile college racial climates, 2) collaborating with the College of Education Student Association (COESA) to co- sponsor a College-wide conversation about the student uprisings across the country, and 3) sponsoring a monthly conversation series about various dimensions to campus racial climate over the Winter and Spring Quarters of the current academic year, with further assessment planned for future action beyond 2015-2016.

 

In solidarity,

Ryan Evely Gildersleeve, Department Chair of Higher Education

Judy Marquez Kiyama

Samuel D. Museus

Antonio Olmos

Kathy Green

Dr. Frank Tuitt

Cecilia M. Orphan

Nick Cutforth

Dr. Ana Candelaria

Trisha Raque-Bogdan

Julie Sarama

Gloria E. Miller

Pat Garriott

Maria Salazar

Clara L. Sitter

Rick Kitchen

Paul A. Michalec

Jesse Owen, Dept. Chair Counseling Psychology

J. Michael Faragher

Doris Candelarie, PhD

Heather Ryan

Shimelis Assefa

Ellen Miller-Brown

Bruce Uhrmacher

Cynthia E. Hazel

Maria Riva

Nicole M. Joseph