Dear Colleagues:
With each passing day I gain deeper appreciation for the pain our decisions have caused and the fragility of the campus fabric that I know needs repair. I want to affirm my commitment to a pathway forward that includes your voices.
I approached the May 8 faculty meeting as an opportunity to give a baseline report of how we arrived at our decision, and then to listen to your concerns, questions and ideas about where we must go from here. As that meeting progressed, it became clear that emotions in the room were too raw for us to do more than provide a hearing and sit with the hurt our community is enduring. I remain grateful to all who shared their feelings and experiences.
It is important to me, as I know it is important to many of you, that University leadership continues to listen to and partner with faculty and staff as we work toward next steps. The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate has graciously invited me to attend the May 15 special meeting and join you in advancing a collaborative process of fact finding and evaluating possible next actions. We are presently engaged in a parallel process with student governance.
I am humbled and grateful to be able to remain in dialogue with faculty and staff colleagues. Your input is vital to helping me understand what this community needs from me and from University leadership in this moment.
Darrell P. Wheeler
President
