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
