To our CENG faculty and staff:
I hope you have all read the message that was sent out by all the Deans and the interim Provost. Earlier this week I reminded our community that as a college we are committed to social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and a community based in love, empathy, and respect. Right now members of our community are suffering. The Dean’s office has heard from countless students being impacted by the murder of George Floyd and by the uprisings in our communities. I want to urge all of us, and particularly those who come from a position of privilege and power, to take some concrete action to support our students. This is your chance. Take an action, any action, to show students that we hear them and that we value them.
We are all suffering. Many of us are exhausted and the end of our emotional reserves at the end of this uniquely challenging quarter. Our students are too, and the stress and fear that they feel right now is making it difficult for them to focus and achieve as normal in their academics. This is not a normal time, there is no need for us to pretend that it is.
In this essay, Don’t Say Nothing, the author emphasizes that the students hear our silence. Let’s not be silent this time. And as this author notes “And when you don’t have the words and can’t plan the lessons, don’t just say nothing; say exactly what you are feeling. That will mean more to your students than you may ever know.” I encourage each of you to reach out to your students today and let them know we care.
Sincerely,
Amy S. Fleischer, PhD (She/her/hers)
Dean, College of Engineering
