Faculty and Staff,
The following letter has been sent out to all Clarkson University students.
____________________________________________________________________________
Students,
You bravely spoke to us and we heard you. Now we want you to hear from us loud and clear: Black Lives Matter.
We mourn the loss of members of the Black community who have been brutally killed by police. This police brutality is part of a system of institutionalized racism that has ruined countless lives. However, saying Black Lives Matter is not enough. We have to acknowledge that our institutions, including Clarkson University, are a part of the system that allows these injustices. We are complicit in upholding this status quo through our inaction and insufficient efforts to support institutional reform.
The Open Forum about racism in our community (finally) created a space for Black students at Clarkson to be heard. Your message was clear. We have failed you.
We have not taken the necessary steps to provide a safe experience for you in class and elsewhere on campus. We have not done enough to ensure that you have access to the same experiences and opportunities at Clarkson as your white peers. Some of us have treated you in ways that made you feel singled out in class. We have not spoken up enough on your behalf. When you spoke out in the past, we let you down. We acknowledge this and we will work to change it.
We are committing to do the work to make things better. The most urgent step for us is to change this university to make it a place where you can learn and live safely, where you can speak out and speak up without fear, and where you find a community where you belong and are valued. Moreover, we as faculty/staff, and especially those of us who benefit from privilege, need to work harder, educate ourselves on our own privilege, and learn from our mistakes. As educators, we then have to do the work of educating your peers on campus and in the community about the many facets of institutionalized racism and about being actively anti-racist. This is not and should not be your job. As mentors, we have to uplift you in your accomplishments and create opportunities and spaces for you to shine. As we work on implementing changes, we pledge to hold one another accountable, to be accountable to you, and to keep listening.
Signed,
Matt Manierre, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Claudia Hoffmann, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Annegret Staiger, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Elizabeth J. Podlaha-Murphy, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Paul J. Cummins, Department of Bioethics
Troy Lassial, Residence Life
Andrea Ferro, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Amber Stephenson, David D. Reh School of Business
Jan Scrimgeour, Department of Physics
Luciana Echazu, David D. Reh School of Business
Alexander Cohen, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Behzad Behnia, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
James Peploski, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science
Alexis Maciel, Department of Computer Science
Mahesh K. Banavar, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Davis Rogers, Clarkson Ignite
Suresh Dhaniyala, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Anna Jodice, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Christine Campbell, Student Success Center
Christopher Lynch, Department of Computer Science
Susan Bailey, Department of Biology
Amy Nevin, Graduate School
Daniel Leonard, Coulter School of Engineering
Philip Yuya, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Brenda Kozsan, The Clarkson School
Marko Budisic, Department of Mathematics
Diana White, Department of Mathematics
James Greene, Department of Mathematics
Arthur J Michalek, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Sara Morrison, Department of Mathematics
David Delisle, Campus Safety & Security
Brianne Printup, Graduate Admissions
Deborah Shipp, CUPO
Ryan Brown, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences
Kevin Fite, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Soumyabrata Dey, Department of Computer Science
Brittany L. Ashley, Department of Physical Therapy
Dawn White, Department of Physician Assistant Studies
Dave Homsey, Marketing & External Relations
Liz Pienkos, Department of Psychology
Karyn Crispo, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Krista Larock Wells, Registrar’s Office
Abigail DeCastro, Student Administrative Services
Andrew David, Department of Biology
Stacey Brekke, Marketing & External Relations
Stephen T. Casper, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Chee Keong Tan, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Tamera Rizk, Student Affairs
Thomas Lufkin, Department of Biology
Lisa Legault, Department of Psychology
Ryan Kittle, Air, Space and Cyberspace Studies (AFROTC)
Barbara Wright, Student Administrative Services
Peter R Turner, Institute for STEM Education
Brigette Walsh, Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries
Joshua Thomas, Department of Physics
Kate Matthis, Department of Physician Assistant Studies
Steven Pedersen, Department of Communication, Media and Design
Stephen Bird, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Hannah Savage, Residence Life
Yuncheng Du, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Tom Langen, Department of Biology
Sitaraman Krishnan, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Prashant Hosur Suhas, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Margo Jenkins, Career Center
Seema Rivera, Department of Education
Elisabeth Chapman, Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering
Natalie Kurgan, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Pedro Fernandez-Caban, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Cathy McNamara, Student Success Center
Joe Skufca, Department of Mathematics
Tuyen Vu, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Ali Boolani, Department of Physical Therapy
Alison Mackey, David D. Reh School of Business
Riane Dodge, Department of Physician Assistant Studies
Angela L. Shatraw, Student Administrative Services
Stephanie Schuckers, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Michelle L. Young, University Libraries
Ajit Achuthan, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
William Olsen, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
C.D. Hoover, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Annie Helfgott, The Clarkson School & Honors Program
Daqing Hou, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Anastasia Thomas, Facilities and Services
Melissa Todd, Office of Development and Alumni Relations
Andreas Wilke, Department of Psychology
Jake Newman, Marketing and External Relations
Jen Stokes, Student Administrative Services
Goodarz Ahmadi, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Laura Perry, Office of Information Technology
Beatrice Hernout, Department of Biology
Christopher C. Robinson, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Anna Brown, David D. Reh School of Business
Diego Nocetti, David D. Reh School of Business
Jordan Smith, Reh Graduate Admissions
Ty Mackey, David D. Reh School of Business
Jeanna Matthews, Department of Computer Science
Patricia Rand, Department of Education
Ginger Hunter, Department of Biology
Brian Helenbrook, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Gary Mikel, Athletics
Kerop Janoyan, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Lukas Reynolds, Department of Mathematics
Ken Visser, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Augustine Lado, David D. Reh School of Business
Vicki LaFay, Department of Physical Therapy
Ross Taylor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Sue Manory, David D. Reh School of Business
Jessica Nezezon, Office of Development and Alumni Relations
Petra Kraus, Department of Biology
Ming-Cheng Cheng, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sarah Treptow, Provost’s Office
Jerry Gravander, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Beth Randall, Department of Occupational Therapy
JoAnn Rogers, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Tushar Sirsat, Department of Physician Assistant Studies
Kate Mikel, Student Success Center
Chester Xiang, David D. Reh School of Business
Aikaterini Bellou, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Tammy McGregor Twiss, Student Success Center
Jeffrey Taylor, Student Affairs & Global Initiatives
Jud Mills Jr., Projects
Jon Goss, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Ben Galluzzo, Department of Mathematics
Gina E. Craan, Coulter School of Engineering
Joshua Swink, Military Science
Michelle Crimi, David D. Reh School of Business
Joseph Hargrave, Student Administrative Services
Laurel Kuxhaus, Department of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering
Cindy Hammecker-McLean, Department of Occupational Therapy
Camille Frazier, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Richard Dub, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Laura Ettinger, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
John Moosbrugger, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Hugo Irizarry-Quinones, Coulter School of Engineering
Devon Shipp, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science
Sulapha Peethamparan, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Peg Boysuk, Payroll Office
Michael Ramsdell, Department of Physics
Rae Mackey, Office of the Dean of Students
Douglas Bohl, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Kathleen A. Issen, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Kathleen Kavanagh, Department of Mathematics
Peter Morris, University Libraries
Marshall Issen, David D. Reh School of Business
Jennifer Sampson, Marketing and External Relations
Christopher LaPoint, Department of Physician Assistant Studies
Abul Khondker, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Steven F. Wojtkiewicz, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ioannis Mastorakos, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Nicki Foley, Department of Education
Rebecca Pelky, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Michael Twiss, Department of Biology
Hubert K. Bilan, The Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP)
Kenneth Wallace, Department of Biology
Pat Piperni, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Jonathan Martin, Department of Mathematics
Devin Kapper, Department of Mathematics
William D. Jemison, Coulter School of Engineering
Lisa Tebo, Department of Occupational Therapy
Patricia Lane, Marketing and External Relations
Stefan Grimberg, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Brent Green, Human Resources
Catherine Snyder, Department of Education
Zhilan Feng, David D. Reh School of Business
Matt Draper, Development & Alumni Relations
Melissa Richards, Institute for STEM Education
Christopher Towler, Department of Physical Therapy
Shannon Robinson, Sponsored Research Services
Susan E. Powers, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
David Burke, Office of Information Technology
Evgeny Katz, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science
Lisa Hoover, Clarkson University Libraries
Elizabeth Stein, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Jennifer Knack, Department of Psychology
Tyler Smith, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Jan DeWaters, School of Engineering
Ellen Caldwell, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Misty Spriggs, David D. Reh School of Business
Chris Martin, Department of Mathematics
Tom Holsen, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Erik Bollt, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Robert J. Thomas, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Lisa Propst, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Sumona Mondal, Department of Mathematics
Stacey Zeigler, Department of Physical Therapy
Lorraine Harper, Department of Communication, Media and Design
Kelsey Pearson, Accessibility Services
Erin Blauvelt, MAT
Blair Stein, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Johndan Johnson-Eilola, Department of Communication, Media and Design
Leanne Goldberg, Department of Education
Heather Shattuck, Department of Physical Therapy
Loretta Driskel, Instructional Design
Michael Pipa, Department of Education
Alex Lee, Department of Communication, Media and Design
Patricia Perrier, David D. Reh School of Business
Rebecca Hourihan, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science
Steve Hopkins, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Craig Woodworth, Department of Biology
Elizabeth McCarran, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science
Selma Mededovic Thagard, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Todd Travis, Sponsored Research Services
Trish Dobbs, Undergraduate Admissions
Caity McGregor, Human Resources
Mary Margaret Small, Office of Educational Partnerships
Alastair Kocho-Williams, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Jaime Bicknell, Department of Physical Therapy
Stefanie Kring, Department of Biology
Amber Dashnaw, University Libraries
Jeremy Riedl, Office of University Advising
Courtney Johnson-Woods, Department of Communication, Media and Design
Bebonchu Atems, David D. Reh School of Business
Yang Yang, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Andrew S. Szarka, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Erik C. Backus, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Tino Tamon, Department of Computer Science
Zachary Miller, Department of Communication, Media and Design
Mary Cabral, University Libraries
