Dear Eccles School Community,

As protests and demonstrations continue here in Salt Lake City and across the nation following the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many other Black Americans, we stand in solidarity with emerging social movements calling for reflection and education among the academic community. We encourage our faculty, staff, students, and community members to reflect on our actions and to continue to educate ourselves about systemic racism and to find solutions for a more just and equitable society.

On June 10, a faculty-led national movement to stop doing “business as usual” (#ShutdownAcademia) is a call to reflect on the acts of racism we have witnessed both recently and over the course of American history, and a call to engage in learning and academic action. This nationwide movement is again bringing people together in the fight for equity and justice for Black Americans and to provide time to prioritize their needs — whether that is to rest, reflect, or to act — without incurring additional cumulative disadvantage.

We support our Eccles School faculty, staff, and students in taking the time on June 10 needed to engage in ways that are salient, including taking time in the day to reflect. As an Eccles School leadership team, we commit ourselves to engage in learning and continued action planning. In the coming weeks, you will receive more information on ways we will engage on this issue as the campus begins to open up.

We also encourage everyone in the Eccles School community to take time in the subsequent days, weeks, and foreseeable future to reflect on our actions and the role we play in the persistent racism throughout this country. We challenge all of us to confront our own inner biases and take the time and initiative to educate ourselves about concrete steps that can be taken to fight against racism. Several resources exist to begin or continue that self-education journey.

• The Eccles School’s Office for Student Inclusion strives to cultivate an inclusive environment through the development of student and community-focused initiatives. OSI is committed to ensuring all forms of diversity are understood and valued. OSI can assist in addressing individual student, staff, and faculty needs, as well as provide connection points to resources on developing an inclusive community. To connect with OSI, email  StudentInclusion@Eccles.Utah.edu.
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of Utah also hosts a calendar of campus events to engage in and is continually updating a list of discipline-wide resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion as well.

We encourage you to share the resources you have found helpful as well as ideas for improving our campus to be safer and more inclusive for everyone. Please share those thoughts with us here.

We know that this time of personal reflection will reveal that we have so much more to learn. As we engage in that education, let us have the courage to enter into uncomfortable conversations and confront some challenging self-truths. In this effort, our Eccles School leadership also will commit to taking actionable steps to improve the experience of Black students, staff, and faculty in our school, as well as other non-Black People of Color. Together, we can continue the work of transforming our school, campus, and society into one that is more just and equitable.