Dear Faculty and Academic Affairs Staff,
We write to you as members of the Provost’s Leadership Council to condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the anti-Black, racist violence that resulted in George Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020. This is a deeply disturbing time in our country, a time in which we must take a stand against anti-Black policing and structural racism and a time in which we must commit to taking action to make long overdue changes.
All of us who work at Sonoma State have chosen to devote our lives to the promise of education as a critically important pathway to build a more inclusive and just society. We all are proud to serve a diverse student population and to work every day to ensure we deliver on our commitment to high-quality, affordable, accessible education for all of our students.
The racism being expressed in words and action across the country is unacceptable. So is inaction.
As educators and role models to our students and to our communities, we must stand together against injustice.
We invite you to visit the SSU Center for Community Engagement’s 'Address Racial Injustice' website, where you will find many resources to help you learn more and find your own way to take action.
We also invite you to join us in signing up for the Center for Community Engagement’s Call to Action. Anybody who signs up will be invited to share their ideas about what we can do at Sonoma State to address the racial injustice that permeates our society, violates Black bodies, and degrades Black lives.
Sincerely,
Lisa Vollendorf, Provost
Heather Brown, Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness
Maureen Buckley, Interim Dean of Social Sciences
David England, Interim Dean of Education
Rob Eyler, Dean of Extended and International Education
Steve Karp, Associate Vice President for Research
Lee Krichmar, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Elías López, Sr. Associate Vice President for Academic Resources
Karen Moranski, Sr. Associate Vice President for Academic Programs
Dan Petree, Dean of Business and Economics
Hollis Robbins, Dean of Arts and Humanities
Deborah A. Roberts, Associate Vice President of Faculty Affairs
Karen G. Schneider, Dean of the Library
Lynn Stauffer, Dean of Science and Technology