A note about the following letter:The Letter from Concerned Gonzaga Faculty emerged from a grassroots effort among faculty who attended several of the listening sessions held over the last two weeks. On one hand, the letter alone is just another statement; on the other hand, it points toward immediate actions, and it signals an intention from a large group of faculty to hold ourselves accountable, to hold each other accountable and importantly, to hold administration accountable for long overdue institutional changes.<\/p>\n
The signatures of support for this letter are certainly incomplete; power dynamics certainly prevented some supportive colleagues from signing this letter. Faculty without the protection of tenure, adjunct faculty and instructional staff occupy vulnerable and precarious employment positions. Some faculty work in hostile climates to this type of engagement and may fear repercussions from colleagues.<\/p>\n
The letter circulated only among faculty in recognition of the many academic challenges related to diversity, equity and inclusion that must be addressed. However, the need for change spans all corners of the University, and all employeesfaculty, staff and administrationmust work collaboratively as equal partners to create lasting change on this campus.<\/p>\n
A letter from concerned Gonzaga Faculty...<\/p>\n
On Nov. 8 Gonzagas Black Student Union was attackedGU was attacked. As GU faculty we are witnesses to the pain students experience semester after semester as a result of racist and homophobic attacks and exclusions. Students have voiced a loss of trust in our institution; their lack of trust is understandable. They fear this latest incident will pass unaddressed without the individual and communal care this moment requires, and that GU will move on and resume normal operations without the institutional changes that the history of these cyclical incidents demand.<\/p>\n
Many faculty share students anger, hurt and frustration. We need swift action in the short term and serious change in the longer term. We acknowledge the messages of solidarity from GUs president, provost, head of student affairs and provost for diversity and inclusion. We also acknowledge that the institution regularly responds with important opportunities to listen to those who are hurt.<\/p>\n
Messages of solidarity are not enough. Listening is not enough. Those strategies still have not interrupted the recurring, long-standing experiences of exclusion. In place of reactive responses, we need proactive measures and commitments.<\/p>\n
We need stronger, clearer actions and commitments from this point forward. First, we expect the GU administration to swiftly and thoroughly address the tangible actions called for by the BSU. In addition to these student demands, we expect the administration to provide the campus with regular updates about this investigation and your findings. We want you to follow through on the support offered from the local NAACP, the alliance of independent colleges, the States political officials and Spokanes local neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
Additionally, GU must affirm that the experiences of oppression, exclusion and pain transcend this particular hate attack; the systemic roots of these problems must be acknowledged and confronted lest these experiences continue to plague our campus community.<\/p>\n
Without stronger action, accountability and education for every single member of our community, these problems fester. As we have already seen, what should be a holistic and collaborative space for reflective and critical thought, lifelong learning, spiritual growth, ethical discernment, creativity and innovation, has become divisive, disconnected and imperiled.<\/p>\n
For years we have watched GU respond to racism on campus with passive, broad affirmations of diversity, equity, inclusion and our Jesuit values that do not manifest in sustained anti-racist action or community accountability. Moreover, our reluctance to expect accountability from our colleagues maintains the status quo year after year and ensures these experiences remain embedded in our culture. Therefore, we expect immediate commitments and changes grounded in proven strategies for equity and inclusion in higher education and the following unequivocal actions:<\/p>\n
Upholding institutional expectations and values are not matters of academic freedom or personal choice; they are requirements for everyone who enjoys the privilege of working for this institution.<\/p>\n
We expect GU administration and leadership to deliver on the things youve been tasked to do (and more). Its fundamental to who we are. Fr. Ignacio Ellacura, SJ, asked in a 1982 commencement address at Santa Clara University: What then does a university do, immersed in this reality [of oppression and injustice]? Transform it? Yes. Do everything possible so that liberty is victorious over oppression, justice over injustice, love over hate? Yes. Without this overall commitment, we would not be a university and even less so would we be a Catholic university.<\/p>\n
Our values and mission mean little without actions that affirm them. But we as an intellectual community have the imagination and creativity together to discover the remedies to our problems (Fr. Ellacura). It is time to hold ourselves, our colleagues and the administration accountable. This institution must reaffirm our commitment to the common good and prove that it is the institution our mission promises.<\/p>\n
The institution must act now.<\/p>\n
Faculty Signatures (in alphabetical order)<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Addis, Associate Professor, Biology<\/p>\n
Jennifer W. Akins, MDLA\/ELC<\/p>\n
Kirk Anders, Professor, Biology<\/p>\n
Alejandro Arango, Lecturer, Philosophy<\/p>\n
Sarah Arpin, Associate Professor, Psychology<\/p>\n
Logan Axon, Associate Professor, Mathematics<\/p>\n
Wilson Bailey, Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry<\/p>\n
Betsy Bancroft, Associate Professor, Biology and Environmental Studies<\/p>\n
Monica Banyi, Assistant Professor, Accounting<\/p>\n
Monica Bartlett, Professor Psychology<\/p>\n
John Beck, Professor of Economics<\/p>\n
Diane Birginal, Senior Lecturer, Modern Languages and Literature<\/p>\n
Kelley Bishop, Lecturer of Spanish, Department of Modern Languages and Literature<\/p>\n
David Boose, Professor and Department Chair, Biology<\/p>\n
Susan Boysen, Professor, Department of Nursing<\/p>\n
Joan Braune, Lecturer, Philosophy<\/p>\n
B. Kevin Brown, Adjunct Instructor, Religious Studies (Senior Specialist for Faculty and Staff Formation, Mission and Ministry)<\/p>\n
Angela Bruns, Assistant Professor, Sociology & Criminology<\/p>\n
Rebecca Bull Schaefer, Associate Professor of MGMT, SBA<\/p>\n
Paul Buller, School of Business Administration<\/p>\n
Bernadette Marie Calafell, Professor and Department Chair, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies<\/p>\n
Richard Callahan, Lecturer, Religious Studies<\/p>\n
Anny Case, Ph.D., Department of Teacher Education<\/p>\n
Ann Ciasullo, Professor and Chair, English Department<\/p>\n
Meagan Ciesla, Associate Professor, English<\/p>\n
Emily Clark, Associate Professor, Religious Studies<\/p>\n
Melissa Click, Associate Professor, Communication Studies<\/p>\n
Dennis Arthur Conners, Assoc. Prof. Organizational Leadership<\/p>\n
John Correia, Assistant Professor of MIS, School of Business Administration<\/p>\n
Heather Crandall, Associate Professor, Communication Studies<\/p>\n
Shannen Cravens (Khare), Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry<\/p>\n
Matthew Cremeens, Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry<\/p>\n
Carolyn Cunningham, Associate Professor, Communication and Leadership Studies<\/p>\n
E. Cassandra Dame-Griff, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies (CRES)<\/p>\n
Monique De Nysschen, DNP, Nursing Department<\/p>\n
Jake Deckert, Lecturer, HPHY<\/p>\n
Cathy DeHart, Lecturer of Accounting<\/p>\n
Mike DeLand, Assistant Professor Sociology & Criminology<\/p>\n
Sara Diaz, Associate Professor, Women's and Gender Studies<\/p>\n
Laura A Diaz-Martinez, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology<\/p>\n
Jeffrey Dodd, Assistant Professor, English<\/p>\n
Shannon Dunn, Associate Professor, Religious Studies<\/p>\n
Heather Easterling, Professor, English Department<\/p>\n
Susan Edwards, MSN, RN, CHSE, Resource and Simulation Center Director Department of Nursing<\/p>\n
Shauna Ellefson, MSN, ARNP, FNP - School of Nursing and Human Physiology<\/p>\n
David Fague, Senior Lecturer, Music Department<\/p>\n
Todd A. Finkle, Pigott Professor of Entrepreneurship<\/p>\n
Tim Fitzgerald, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering<\/p>\n
Chris Francovich, Associate Professor, DPLS<\/p>\n
Luis Garcia-Torvisco, Professor, Department of Modern Languages and Literature<\/p>\n
Suzann Girtz, Ph.D., Professor, Teacher Education<\/p>\n
Jeremy Gordon, Communication Studies<\/p>\n
Jamella Gow, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Criminology<\/p>\n
Vikas Gumbhir, Associate Professor, Sociology and Criminology<\/p>\n
Torunn Haaland, Associate Professor of Italian, Chair of International Studies<\/p>\n
Jessica Halliday, Senior Lecturer, English<\/p>\n
Peter Hamlin, Associate Professor, Music<\/p>\n
Joey Haydock, Associate Professor, Biology<\/p>\n
Stephen G. Hayes, Assistant Professor, Biology<\/p>\n
William A Hayes, Assoc Prof & Chair, Sociology & Criminology<\/p>\n
Scott Hedin, Asst. Prof., Business<\/p>\n
Kevin Henrickson, Professor, Economics<\/p>\n
Heath Herrick, Senior Lecturer, English<\/p>\n
Ryan Herzog, Associate Professor of Economics<\/p>\n
Matthew Hoag, Coordinator of Accounting and Associate Professor of Accounting<\/p>\n
Maria Howard, Assistant Professor of Philosophy<\/p>\n
Melinda Howard, Lecturer, Biology<\/p>\n
James Hunter, Associate Professor, English Language Center \/ Teacher Education<\/p>\n
Christina Isabelli, Professor and Department Chair, Modern Languages and Literature<\/p>\n
Erica Johnson, Professor, Economics<\/p>\n
Joe Johnston, Assistant Professor, Sociology & Criminology<\/p>\n
Yu-Kyung Kang, Assistant Professor, English Department<\/p>\n
Sara Kern, Professor, School of Business Administration<\/p>\n
Harman Khare, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering<\/p>\n
Carol Kottwitz, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing and Human Physiology<\/p>\n
Molly Kretchmar-Hendricks, Professor of Psychology and University Core Director<\/p>\n
Jillian LaBelle, Lecturer of Accounting, School of Business Administration<\/p>\n
Charles Lassiter, Associate Professor, Philosophy<\/p>\n
Inga N. Laurent, Professor, Law<\/p>\n
Kathleen Leamy, Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry<\/p>\n
Sou Lee, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Criminology<\/p>\n
Adriane Leithauser, Lecturer of Business Ethics, School of Business Administration<\/p>\n
Emily Loeffler, Instructor, Music<\/p>\n
Peggy Sue Loroz, Professor of Marketing, School of Business Administration<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Read the original here: A note about the following letter:The Letter from Concerned Gonzaga Faculty emerged from a grassroots effort among faculty who attended several of the listening sessions held over the last two weeks. On one hand, the letter alone is just another statement; on the other hand, it points toward immediate actions, and it signals an intention from a large group of faculty to hold ourselves accountable, to hold each other accountable and importantly, to hold administration accountable for long overdue institutional changes Continue reading
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