November 25, 2015
Dear friends and colleagues:
Thanksgiving is a particularly
special time – a time to gather with family and celebrate our blessings –
and I sincerely hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday.
It is also an opportunity to look ahead and imagine a better tomorrow.
Recent
events are reminders of the ongoing unrest in our world, from harm to
innocents around the globe to growing concerns over discrimination in
American society.
Working together, we at the University of
Illinois can help lead the way to a future rooted in justice, social
equality, mutual respect, understanding and inclusion. These bedrock
values have helped guide this university since its founding – although
we must admit to having fallen short at times. We must now strongly
reaffirm our commitment and light a beacon to show the way toward that
better tomorrow.
We will speak out firmly and clearly against
expressions of hate or racial bias, and will react swiftly to acts of
discrimination. We will champion a culture where all are treated
equally, all are respected and all have the opportunity to live the
lives of their dreams. We will exemplify open, inclusive and safe
environments for all our students, faculty and staff, wherever they are
and wherever they are from. We will expand our efforts university-wide
in this regard and look forward to your thoughts and suggestions.
I
wish you and yours the happiest of Thanksgivings, and thank you for
your commitment to equality, to diversity and to this great university.
Sincerely,
Tim