Dear Colleagues,
Like you, I am shocked and deeply saddened by the recent violence against members of the Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The horror of seeing hatred or fear enacted as harassment and deadly violence has become far too common.
As the pandemic began to unfold last year, some Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander members of our community experienced harassment on our campus. We unequivocally condemned those actions at that time as we condemn the murders that have taken place in recent weeks. No one should be targeted or harmed for their identity. We affirm our institutional commitment to, and call for, respect for all.
This commitment will be enshrined in our new strategic plan. In our draft plan, which will be reviewed by the State Board of Education this spring, our community came together around five major goals. Significantly, these included fostering a thriving community, and promoting and advancing a mindful, equitable and accessible environment for all. We must dedicate ourselves to advancing a learning and working environment that supports the intellectual development, flourishing, sense of belonging, and freedom of expression of all students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University. In a community striving to achieve these goals, acts of hatred have no place.
We grieve the tragic loss of life in Atlanta—and more recently, in Boulder—as well as the pain it has produced there, in our nation and in our community. In this difficult time, for any students seeking additional support, we have a variety of resources: counseling services, including walk-in appointments, are available by calling (208) 426-1459 or visiting Health Services; International Student services can be reached at internationalinfo@boisestate.edu or (208) 426-3652; the Dean of Students Office can be contacted at (208) 426-1527; the Gender Equity Center at (208) 426-4259 also has resources to share with students.
Sincerely,
Dr. Marlene Tromp
President