Dear Regis community,
Even though the campus is quiet right now, we know our community is not at peace. We are mourning the untimely deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and so many more Black people across this country who have been victims of racial violence and hate. We mourn for them and express our deepest sympathies to their families.
Regis College emphatically stands against any intolerance and violence against communities of color. We continuously strive to uphold the values of our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, by being a welcoming and inclusive community, serving as agents of change in our communities, and advocating for a more just and compassionate global society.
For many, these recent incidents are shocking – they shake us to our core. But for others, we know these types of tragedies do not come as a surprise. Our students, faculty, and staff of color experience discrimination, bias, and microaggressions far too often. Please know that the entire Regis community grieves with you, is thinking of you, and supports you. During these uncertain times, if you need any assistance, our Center for Ministry and Service and Counseling Services are here for you.
We value the diversity of our student body. Our educational environment thrives because of the breadth of voices and experiences in our community. Regis is committed to ensuring the success of all its community members and eliminating any barriers that stand in our way. However, we are aware that the diversity of our student body is not reflected in our faculty and staff. We have taken several steps to achieve our goal of inclusive excellence.
The President’s Inclusive Excellence Council is charged with developing a strategic plan to advance inclusive excellence for all, which will include steps to increase the diversity of our faculty and staff and provide more educational opportunities to better understand and serve our diverse community.
In addition, the DIRECT bias response team is working to streamline their reporting protocols and eliminate any barriers for people to report incidents of bias so we can work to intervene as soon as possible. This team is committed to treating everyone with dignity, respect and fundamental fairness.
We also fully recognize that the systemic racism that tragically ended in death in Minneapolis, Tallahassee, Louisville, Georgia, also played a significant role in the many social disparities of the COVID-19 pandemic. Regis will soon offer an interdisciplinary course on the effects of the pandemic on our lives. Through a social justice lens, this course will assess the historical and systemic challenges relative to equity and disparity outcome.
We know that this is just a start and we have so much more to do. But there is no doubt we will come together to do the necessary work, for ourselves, for our community, for our world.
We look forward to continuing this important conversation and working together to build a more just and compassionate society.
Sincerely,
Antoinette M. Hays, PhD, RN
President
Audrey Grace, JD
Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence and Chief Diversity Officer
Craig Davis
Chief of Police
