June 4, 2020: A Message Regarding Recent Events

Dear Faculty,

I want to take a moment to acknowledge the pain and anger many of us are feeling in the wake of the recent horrifying killings and violence. These acts of racial violence have reverberated across the country and impacted so many of us here at Georgia Southern University. Like you, I am deeply saddened and disturbed by these senseless deaths, and by the systemic racism that still pervades and divides our country.

At Georgia Southern, we strive to achieve Inclusive Excellence and we have taken several steps in recent years toward that goal. We created the President’s Diversity Advisory Council, which provides regular and consistent diversity-focused educational and informational workshops for faculty, students, and staff. We formed the Office of Inclusive Excellence, which is led by Dr. TaJuan Wilson. As a Cabinet-level leader, Dr. Wilson provides guidance and gives voice to issues of diversity across the university. We’ve also made the formation of the Inclusive Excellence Action Plan a priority, which will be out this summer.

While this is a great start, our work is ongoing. As educators, we need to prepare the next generation of leaders who will lead this fight against injustice. By equipping our students with the knowledge and skills to effectively participate in civil discourse and the democratic process, we can bring about meaningful change. Education, I believe, is our greatest defense against hatred, intolerance, and injustice. Over the coming days and weeks, please think about how you can facilitate dialogue in your classes where students can engage with these issues.

Through allyship, we can disrupt this pattern of injustice and achieve Inclusive Excellence, not only here at Georgia Southern, but across the country.

Sincerely,

Carl L. Reiber

Provost & Vice President Academic Affairs

Last updated: 8/18/2021