Dear Colleagues,

One of the things I love about being an educator in our community is that I’m constantly learning; today I found myself in a teachable moment.  Earlier this week I recorded a message that was included in the Faculty Affairs newsletter, FAN.  For my zoom background, I chose an image from the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special showing the characters seated around the dinner table, with Franklin, the lone character of color, seated on one side by himself. My privilege and life experience made me insensitive to the fact that this image has a complicated history, reflecting racism in our culture.  I apologize for my insensitivity in using this image, particularly during an already stressful time. I also want to thank the individual who reached out to me so that I could learn from my misstep.  I’m grateful for colleagues who appreciate the importance of giving one another feedback and do so with grace.

Have a wonderful fall break.

Best,

Jenny


Jennifer Lundgren, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
University of Missouri-Kansas City