“Angie’s exceptional project management skills, combined with her deep knowledge of higher education, campus operations, and the local community will be an asset as we partner across constituencies to chart the path for the future of our great institution,” said President Anne McCall.

In this new role, Tracey will serve as a member of cabinet and provide primary executive-level staffing to the president, including project management and reporting on presidential initiatives, institutional projects, budgets, compliance, and oversight of the Office of the President’s staff. As the official corporate secretary, she also will coordinate meetings of the Board of Trustees and its committees, manage and communicate information and materials to board members, and ensure accurate and timely board records.

Tracey has worked as Operations Manager in the College’s Facilities Department since 2015, where she serves as the primary contact to campus, contractors, and service personnel; manages all electronic, phone, verbal, and written work requests; oversees transportation requests, staff, and the college fleet; serves as the primary administrator and training expert for the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS); and prepares numerous compliance and Board reports throughout the year.

She also serves on critical campus-wide task forces and committees, including Campus Master Planning, Campus Art Working Group, Community Health Taskforce, and the Emergency Response Team. She also played a key role on recently concluded search committees for Wooster’s first Vice President for Human Resources and Director of Campus Sustainability.

Tracey is very active in her local community, where she co-founded Growing Mohican Families, an organization responsible for the design, development, fundraising, and planning of a new playground in the community. She recently completed a five-year term as a board member for the Loudonville Perrysville School Foundation, and prior to that was a member of the board for the Mohican Area Community Fund, where she planned events and raised annual dollars for non-profits within Ashland County.

She holds a Bachelor’s in education from The Ohio State University and was a licensed pharmaceutical technician for 16 years prior.

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Dear Wooster community,

Jayland Walker’s funeral was Wednesday, and as we mourn another horrendous act of systemic anti-Black violence in our neighboring city of Akron, Ohio, the urgency of now falls to all of us to learn, grow, and work together to take actions to create communities that are safe, equitable, and just for all.

We stand in solidarity with those who are harmed by racism and the many members of our alumni, staff, faculty, and student body who reside or have family and loved ones from the Akron area impacted by this tragedy.��

69ֱ�� is committed to curricular diversity and inclusive pedagogy, and to centering racial equity in our policies and practices, mindsets, and interactions, as the foundation for equity within our campus community and beyond. Please view a summary of themes and actions we’re tackling on our own campus and our timelines for this work .

As fall semester approaches, we look forward to providing a variety of ways for our community to come together to reflect, learn, grow, network, and continue to make anti-racist actions a priority. Please stay tuned for forums for students and employees to be announced in the fall, and building from Assistant Professor Beatrice Adams’ Juneteenth Commemorative Lecture, additional Presidential Equity & Excellence Lecture Series events.

Our Class of 2026 book is Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You�������� and . At the start of the academic year, we will make copies of this book available through the campus bookstore to any student, faculty, or staff member. Please save the date for the Peter Mortensen Lecture featuring Stamped co-author Jason Reynolds on Thursday, September 22 at 7 p.m. in McGaw Chapel. A livestream will also be made available for those unable to travel to campus.

I encourage you to join us for these upcoming engagement opportunities and be part of the change we seek. Thank you for your continued dedication to our mission.

Wayne Webster

Interim President

69ֱ��

Posted July 15, 2022.

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I write today in response to Friday’s Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, the monumental 1973 decision that established the constitutional right to abortion access under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. By no longer recognizing the constitutional right for people to choose their own reproductive health options, the Supreme Court ruling moves the regulation of abortion to individual states to decide.

In Ohio, a law banning abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected (typically about six weeks after the last menstrual period) went into effect on Friday night, following a ruling by a Federal judge.

These rulings impact many in our community profoundly, and in deeply personal ways. There will be many important matters to consider as we think through how best to support the health care needs of our students, faculty and staff in this rapidly evolving legal environment. Today, we’d like to speak to the ways we will continue to support student access to needed medical care. We are also considering the impacts these rulings may have for our staff and faculty, and ways the College may provide assistance, and will likely have more to share on that in the coming weeks.

69ֱ�� is absolutely committed to providing comprehensive health care access to all students through the Longbrake Student Wellness Center and our partner providers. Student health is a cornerstone for our mission and a top priority. If a student needs health care services that are not available locally, the College will support them in accessing care as nearby as possible. For some types of reproductive health care, such as abortion, that may mean assisting a student in accessing care in another state, for example. As for all medical care, students are eligible to apply for emergency funds from the Dean of Students’ office to support urgent reproductive healthcare, including abortion.

If you are a student in need of resources or support, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Dean of Students’ office at 330-263-2545. For the summer, a registered nurse is available Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-noon; 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Longbrake Wellness Center (330-263-2319). The Wellness Center will reopen full services for the fall on August 21. Among the types of care available at the Wellness center is “Plan B” medication. Telehealth services remain available all year, including through the summer at .

We will continue to carefully follow the changing legal environment and to plan for ways to support full access to health care for all members of our community.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bolton
President

Published June 27, 2022

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Since��the murder of George Floyd��on May 25,��crucial��work has been��accelerating��across��the��US, as well as��globally,��to dismantle racism and��begin to��redress its harms.�� At the same time, though, we have seen a continuation of the��terrible��anti-Black violence that has persisted in��this country for so long – including in the��horrifying��shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha on Sunday.�� Racist violence, and racism in all its forms, are inhumane and appalling. ��They have gone on far too long and created immeasurable harm to individuals and communities across generations. ��We must come together, now, to end them.��Black��lives��matter, and��progress��is urgently needed – across the country, as well as here, on our own campus.������

The��staff of the��Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI)��and our Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer (CDEIO) will host a virtual gathering on Wednesday, September 2^nd,��from 8- 9:30 pm,��to provide a space for solidarity, discussion and support. They will share an invitation and more details��for this gathering��in the next��few��days. Students are also welcome to contact any of the CDI or Dean of Students’ staff or the Wellness Center for individual conversation, and our CDEIO, Dr. García, is available to support staff and faculty, as well as students.��

On July 2^nd, I wrote to you��to share��.����Since then,��my cabinet colleagues and I have��continued to��talk��with Black alumni, students, staff and faculty,��and��read��the experiences that students and alumni have shared on social media.��It is clear that��Black��staff, students and faculty continue to��experience��bias, racism,��stereotyping��and��exclusion��on our campus.��This is��completely unacceptable.��We are opening formal investigations of specific concerns regarding discrimination that have been raised (through the filing of reports or through other mechanisms, including social media), and also continuing to act with urgency to create a campus that is just and deeply welcoming for all.�� In this letter, I will provide brief updates on the central commitments��and actions��for change��we shared��in July��as well as on new efforts. ��

Like so many people on our campus, Wooster’s��Board of��Trustees��is��also committed to ensuring that Wooster lives up to its founding mission as “a place of studies for all.”�� The Board��has��convened��a��task force with a focus on anti-racism, equity and justice, and will be communicating with the campus community soon about its charge, membership and plans.��

Below are our the current updates on commitments and actions announced July 2^nd.����This list is a summary of actions taken so far and upcoming next steps. ��We know that there is much more that is needed, and are continuing discussions with staff, faculty and students to find the best ways forward. ��We will keep updating the community regularly.����������

1.������������Build an inclusive and anti-racist campus culture.��

• Required��training for��all��staff, students and faculty, focused on understanding structural racism and on the actions that create an inclusive equitable community. ��Anti-racism trainings of��the Board of Trustees and of��Security and Protective Services��as well as for RAs��took place in��July��and August.�� Faculty workshops this summer also included these areas of focus.����Anti-racism trainings will continue through the year and on an ongoing basis, and we will hold multi-day trainings for staff and faculty next summer.��The faculty has voted to require��antiracist��training of all��academic��departments annually.����
• Contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion will be part of professional assessments for all faculty and staff.  Building and supporting a diverse team, proactively creating an inclusive culture, ongoing learning and action will be part of the��training,��expectations and��evaluations of all campus managers and leaders. ��Expectations have been set in��cabinet and��will be conveyed broadly��through trainings��at the start of the academic��year, and��assessed��in this year’s reviews.����
• Review and revise our bias incident-reporting and response process, including increased support resources for those bringing forward concerns, for example, a��trained individual serving as an ombudsman, and accountability for acts of racism or discrimination. ��We��are contracting��with an Ombudsperson and have interviewed those holding this role at peer colleges to develop the most effective structure.����In addition to their resource role,��this individual will also��support��assessment of our draft bias incident-reporting and response processes to make them��more��effective in��achieving just outcomes.�� The draft process will be shared with the campus for review and comment by Oct. 1.��

2. Grow the diversity of our student body and of our faculty, staff and campus leadership.

• Continue to build��proactively-inclusive��hiring practices��for staff and faculty, and ensure equity in evaluation, compensation and promotion;��The training, oversight��and roles of diversity advocates in faculty hires and promotion decisions are being��reviewed and��strengthened, and equivalent processes for staff hiring and evaluation developed.����We will ensure that diverse student voices are included in promotion and tenure reviews of faculty members, and that��all��external reviews of academic and administrative departments include assessments of equity and inclusive practice.�� Our ombudsperson will collaborate with��the CDEIO and��human resources to strengthen��practices ensuring equity in��evaluation, compensation,��promotion��and response to concerns��for staff.��
• Sustain and broaden the��new faculty��mentoring program and other actions enacted this year��as a result of��the faculty retention study.����The new faculty mentoring��program is being continued,�� and��further��strengthened based on feedback of��participants.��We will also conduct interviews for staff and��for��faculty��who were not part of the original retention��study and��use those to further develop plans��to support the thriving of faculty and staff of color throughout their careers at Wooster.��
• Continue to develop opportunities for students, staff and faculty of color to build connections on campus and beyond it.����Dr. García is continuing this work, which��has included��the formation and support��of a��Black Staff and Faculty Caucus��as well as other��campus��groups, and��as well as��workshops��through the Ohio Five Consortium.��

3.������������Strengthen resources for students to learn about of issues of racial justice, and to develop capacities to lead, collaborate and make a difference in their work after graduation ��

• Immediately enact targeted fundraising for Africana studies, CDI and other academic programs and co-curricular programs which focus on racism and justice.��This work is underway, and Africana studies will hire several tenure-track positions over the next two years.��
• Develop resources for faculty teaching in courses that meet the Diversity, Power and Privilege, Global Engagement and Social Justice/Religion requirements. (To be completed this academic year,��along with an initial review of the diversity, power and privilege requirement, as recommended both by students and by the faculty who initially developed the proposal for this requirement.)��
• Revise new student orientation and leadership training for RAs and student organizations to strengthen learning about racism, cultural competency and creating inclusive community.��Dr. García��and members of the Dean of Students’ office��revised the new student orientation��training��and programming��to focus on��inclusion and��antiracism, and��additional��trainings are being enacted now.����RA,��ARCHer��and other trainings have also included��extended��antiracism components.��

4.������������Ensure safety and broaden support for student wellness��and thriving. ��

• Collaborate with outside experts on equity,��race��and justice to find ways for our campus security and protective services team to become an even better resource for the safety and well-being of our campus community.����Effective��August 17^th, Security and Protective Services��is being led by��Joe Kirk.��Director Kirk��has been associate director for��9��years and��is looking forward to developing a community- based approach including a��board of students,��staff��and faculty with whom SPS will collaborate.����Director Kirk��will continue to work��with Dr. García and others to��strengthen the department’s��regular��training, policies��and practice in equity and inclusion, and to provide clear information��about the circumstances in which the local police department must��be called��to��campus.��
• Increase the availability of counselors of color for students.��We are working to make it possible for a new��counselor of color to be available to Wooster students early this fall.��
• Access and equity as regards accommodations.��We will review our processes for ADA accommodations to ensure they are��equitable��for all students, including those who may have difficulty��accessing��medical��assessments, and that they are broadly��and proactively communicated.

5.������������Increase support and opportunity for students.��

• Immediately undertake focused fundraising for the Black Student Equity Fund, Black Legacy fund, funds for DACA students and First-Generation students, as well as for scholarships, emergency funds, and funds for opportunities such as internships and study away.����This fundraising is��underway.����
• Clarify and ease access to resources,��support��and housing.��Following the guidance of students, we��will��make sources of funding for individual students and student organizations clearer and easier to apply for.����We will create a transparent��website,��and��ensure that faculty advisors, student org advisors and others who may be��helping��students are aware of the funds available and how to access them.����We will also work with Scot Council to make it easier for student organizations that support Black and other historically marginalized students to receive funding for their activities, including events that are��designated��specifically for organization members.����We will��clarify the roles of Deans and CDI staff so that students and student organizations know where best to seek support.����We will make it easier for those student organizations in the historic houses (Men of Harambee, Women of Images, African Students’ Association) to access and sustain housing that supports their mission.��

6.������������Engage with the community in the City of Wooster. ��

• Collaborate��with local leaders on anti-racist initiatives and on work to create an intentionally welcoming community. ��The CDEIO is working with local leaders, including the local NAACP chapter,��on possible collaborations and areas for action this coming year.��

My thanks go to every member of the College of Wooster community who is working hard to make our community better.  Special thanks to those students, staff, faculty and alumni who have shared their experiences and ideas, providing crucial insights into the painful experiences and harms of racism at Wooster and ways to address them.  We will work together, relentlessly, to create change everywhere on our campus, so that those harms end, and Wooster becomes the truly just and welcoming place for learning to which our mission calls us.   �� ��

Sincerely,��

Sarah Bolton��

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One of the College of Wooster’s greatest strengths is its global community. We are extraordinarily fortunate to have students from over sixty countries studying here, as well as international staff and faculty. Our College was founded on the understanding that excellence requires many voices and perspectives. That is true today more than ever; international students, staff and faculty contribute tremendously to our mission, and they are deeply valued members of the community. These international members of our community work incredibly hard to come to Wooster, travelling far from family and friends, working in multiple languages, navigating the complex US visa and immigration system and the border closings of COVID-19, and much more. Their talent, perspective, knowledge and courage are wonderful, and they deserve to be here and to thrive.

Over the past several months, a series of limitations on both work and student visas have been enacted. These visas are crucial to those who bring their talents to businesses and other organizations in the United States, including to Wooster. On Monday, new regulations were issued from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), which oversees the F-1 visa process through which international students come to colleges in the United States. These regulations require that international students in the United States take courses in-person or in a hybrid format. If students take only remote or online courses, their visa status would lapse and they would be required to leave the US.

This change in rules is of deep concern. The College strongly opposes it, and we are working to get it rescinded. Our College’s plans for academic work in the fall are very intentionally built to be flexible, so that we can make adjustments as needed to protect the health of students, staff and faculty. At present, we expect to have mostly in-person and hybrid courses. However, if there is a public health need to move to more fully remote teaching, this rule could put international students in Wooster in an extremely difficult situation. Furthermore, this rule is deeply problematic because it bans international students from other campuses in the US which have decided to teach most or all courses remotely, based on their local public health and campus needs.

The College is advocating both in Washington, D.C. and through the courts on behalf our international students. We are����last night to rescind the new rules and are also working with the GLCA and Five Colleges of Ohio to contact our congressional representatives to make clear why this policy is so harmful and should be changed.

At the same time, our teams in the Dean of Students Office, International Admissions and International Student Services are supporting our international students as they make decisions in face of the new rule. At present, with most courses planned for in-person or hybrid instruction, international students at Wooster have access to the courses they need to maintain their visa status. We are seeking legal guidance on how we could best help international students if the College were to need to go to more remote teaching. One possibility that some universities are considering is to offer mini-courses in person for international students even if all other courses are remote. It is not yet clear whether this would satisfy the new visa regulations, but we are working with experts nationally to see whether this approach or other approaches would be helpful, so that we can be prepared to support and protect our international students effectively.

We stand with our international students, staff and faculty, and will continue to work vigorously to support them both here in Wooster and through national advocacy. I will keep you updated as this situation evolves. My deep thanks to Jill Munro and her team in International Student Services as well as the many others at Wooster who are working so hard to provide support and guidance through this extraordinarily challenging time.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bolton

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A month ago, I wrote in the wake of the brutal killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, treasured people who should still be with their families today. In our Community Care gathering on June 3, students, staff, faculty and alumni shared grief and outrage about these lives lost to racist violence, and the many that have come before them. We talked about anti-Black racism and its pervasive impacts and intolerable harms – around the world, and at Wooster as well. We declared our commitment, as individuals and as a College, to look honestly at ourselves and to act to dismantle racism in all its forms.

Since that time calls for justice have continued around the world, and some long-overdue changes are beginning. Here in Wooster, my cabinet colleagues and I have had the privilege of talking with Black alumni, students, staff and faculty about their experiences, and about the ways our college must change. It is clear that, while Wooster has made progress in some areas, we have urgent work to do to become a truly inclusive, equitable and welcoming place.

I write today to provide an initial update on that work and the plans that we are developing based on conversations we have had so far. This is only a beginning. We are looking forward to further discussions with students, staff, faculty and alumni in the coming weeks, as well as continued engagement with expert resources in anti-racist practices for each area of the College’s work. We will continue to provide regular updates.

Black lives matter. And the harms of racism have gone on far too long. Work to address them cannot wait, and it requires that we ask ourselves hard questions in order to make real change. Here are the principles guiding our plans and actions at Wooster.

1. Students, staff and faculty deserve an equitable, welcoming, safe environment in which to live, work, learn and thrive. Far too often, that has not been the case at Wooster for Black people, indigenous people, people of color and other people with historically marginalized identities. That is unacceptable.
2. To make a lasting difference, our anti-racist actions must be strategic, determined and sustained over time. There are things that we must do immediately, and then we need to keep going, and hold ourselves accountable for progress.
3. We must listen to, amplify and be guided by the voices of our students, staff, faculty and alumni who face racism in their daily lives; those who are Black, indigenous and other people of color.
4. Our progress cannot depend on these voices alone; it is not the responsibility of people of color to fix racism. Each of us is responsible for learning and becoming knowledgeable about racism and about ways to create just and equitable communities and workplaces, and then acting on that knowledge to make Wooster better.
5. The changes we make are necessary for Wooster to achieve inclusive excellence, so that those who work, study and live here can truly thrive. But these commitments are not just about changing the campus experience. Wooster prepares students to become leaders of character and influence across the US and around the world. So, the learning that students do here, inside and outside the classroom, makes an impact on societal progress far beyond our campus.
6. While Wooster has urgent work to do, we also have tremendous strengths to draw on. Our College was founded on the principle that excellence in education requires a broad range of identities and perspectives. We have some extraordinary faculty, staff and alumni leaders who have been doing anti-racist work for decades. We have a curriculum with new requirements in Diversity, Power and Privilege and Global Engagement, and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer who is already enacting discussions of anti-racism with students, staff and faculty. Our students are deeply committed to change, and our board of trustees will hold us accountable for progress. We are ready to seize this moment and make a difference.

In order to determine our next steps, my cabinet colleagues and I started with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic plan that the College of Wooster community developed in 2016-2017 with Shadra Smith and Christa Craven’s leadership. Listening to the voices of our students and colleagues, we have asked ourselves where that plan has succeeded in creating a truly inclusive and equitable community, and where it has not. Drawing from these reflections, as well as from study of anti-racist approaches to higher education, the cabinet leadership team has made the following initial commitments. These are only a beginning. We will continue to add new ideas as we learn more from people across the campus and beyond it.

1. Build an inclusive and anti-racist campus culture.
   • Provide required training for all staff, students and faculty, focused on understanding structural racism and on the actions that create an inclusive equitable community. This work is beginning now with faculty, members of the board of trustees, the cabinet, and our teams in financial aid, student billing, security and protective services, and residential life, and will be completed by the end of the fall semester.
   • Contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion will be part of professional assessments for all faculty and staff. Building and supporting a diverse team, proactively creating an inclusive culture, ongoing learning and action will be part of the evaluations of all campus managers and leaders. This change will completed for the evaluation cycle in the coming academic year.
   • Review and revise our bias incident-reporting and response process, including increased support resources for those bringing forward concerns, for example, a trained individual serving as an ombudsman, and accountability for acts of racism or discrimination. This revision will be completed by November, 2020.
2. Grow the diversity of our student body and of our faculty, staff and campus leadership.
   • Continue this year to build proactively-inclusive hiring practices for staff and faculty, and ensure equity in evaluation and promotion
   • Sustain and broaden the mentoring program and other actions enacted this year as a result of the faculty retention study
   • Continue to develop opportunities for students, staff and faculty of color to build connections on campus and beyond it.
3. Strengthen resources for students to learn about issues of racial justice, and to develop capacities to lead, collaborate and make a difference in their work after graduation
   • Immediately enact targeted fundraising for Africana studies, CDI and other academic programs and co-curricular programs which focus on racism and justice.
   • Develop training resources for faculty teaching in courses that meet the Diversity, Power and Privilege, Global Engagement and Social Justice/Religion requirements. (To be completed this academic year.)
   • Revise new student orientation and leadership training for RAs and student organizations to strengthen learning about racism, cultural competency and creating inclusive community. (To be completed by the end of July, 2020)
4. Ensure safety and broaden support for student wellness.
   • Collaborate with outside experts on equity, race and justice to find ways for our campus security and protective services team to become an even better resource for the safety and well-being of our campus community. (To be completed by the end of July, 2020.)
   • Increase the availability of counselors of color for students. (To be completed by the end of July, 2020)
5. Increase support and opportunity for students.
   • Immediately undertake focused fundraising for the Black Student Equity Fund, Black Legacy fund, funds for DACA students and First-Generation students, as well as for scholarships, emergency funds, and funds for opportunities such as internships and study away.
6. Engage with the community in the City of Wooster.
   • Find ways to collaborate with local leadership on anti-racist initiatives and on work to create an intentionally welcoming community.

My thanks go to every member of the College of Wooster community who is working hard to make our community better. Special thanks to those students, staff, faculty and alumni who have shared their experiences and perspectives, providing crucial insights into the painful experiences and harms of racism at Wooster. We will work together to create change everywhere on our campus, so that those harms end, and Wooster becomes the truly just and welcoming place for learning to which our mission calls us.

Sincerely,
Sarah Bolton

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I write at a time where many in our community are experiencing overwhelming trauma, grief and exhaustion from relentless anti-Black violence, most recently in the killing of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, a city that so many of our students call home. This loss affects all of us, but weighs particularly heavily on the Black members of our community, who experience the harm of racism throughout their daily lives, including on our campus. No one should have to carry that burden of injustice. We have crucial work to do to make this country, and our College, a better place.

That work needs to be a priority, and we need to create the time, space, and resources to focus on it. We will make a step towards doing that this week. This Friday is June 19. June 19 is celebrated as����in many communities, and honors the day that news of the emancipation proclamation came to Texas, on June 19, 1865, bringing word that “all slaves are free.”

As a small step to help us move forward,��I have decided that the College will have a paid day away from work for all employees this Friday, June 19, 2020.��I ask that all work and meetings planned for that day be cancelled if possible. (Essential employees who have to work will be paid holiday pay.)

For our Black colleagues, I hope that this day will provide some opportunity for rest. For others, I hope you also enjoy the pause of the day away from the intensity of regular campus activities, but I also ask that you take some time on your own that day to learn more about racism and to consider and commit to ways to address it through your day-to-day actions, your work at Wooster, and your engagement with all members of the College and local community. Our cabinet leadership team will be doing this as well, together. Here are some free resources to watch, read and discuss. I hope that everyone will choose at least two to watch/read on Friday, and to discuss with colleagues next week.

• , Vernā Myers TED Talk, November 2014
• , USC Race and Equity Center
• Conversations on racism in the Wooster community: Video “” by Desi LaPoole, ’20. Interviews with Wooster citizens start at 10 minutes in. “” article in the Daily Record, June 9, 2020.
• Many resources����colleges and universities and on support and����by racism have been pulled together through #shutdownacademia , a group of faculty across the country working to address anti-Black racism
• , Peggy McIntosh TED Talk, October 2012
• , Kimberlé Crenshaw TED Talk, November 2016
• , an evolving open-source guide to help you become a more thoughtful and effective ally organized by Amélie Lamont

By informing ourselves, looking honestly at the places we need to be better, standing in solidarity with those who are harmed, and working together, we can move 69ֱ�� forward to become the community we seek – one that is actively anti-racist, equitable and just. Thank you for engaging in that work, together.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bolton

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I write as we continue to reflect on the appalling murders of George Floyd and others through anti-Black violence, and on the larger systems of structural racism that create harm in so many ways. 69ֱ�� absolutely has work to do in this regard, to become a place that is truly equitable and inclusive. We often think about these issues as they relate to student experience, but it is just as critical that staff and faculty have a welcoming and equitable workplace, free of the racism and discrimination which pervade our society. While we have enacted initiatives through our��diversity, equity and inclusion strategic plan����to improve our campus climate, including the faculty retention study and the actions that have followed from it, and trainings on creating inclusive workplaces in many academic and administrative departments, we still have a long way to go to create an excellent and inclusive workplace for everyone. We must act, with urgency, to get there. We will be bringing expert voices to bear to help us make concrete plans to move forward, as there are excellent resources being developed on anti-racist practices for colleges and universities. Everyone at the College will be part of the shared commitment to make Wooster better.

As a part of this work, I especially welcome the opportunity to hear directly from our Black faculty and staff about their experiences at Wooster and changes they would like to see. To that end, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer Ivonne M. García and I invite Black faculty and staff to a virtual gathering on��Wednesday, June 17, at 3pm. We will structure the time so that the first part of the gathering will be an opportunity for us to listen to Black staff and faculty. Later, if there is desire to have time without me present for further conversation, I’m happy to support that as well. I also understand that this is a time of profound exhaustion for many who have faced relentless anti-Black racism throughout their lives, and so some may choose not to participate.

Black faculty and staff who would like to participate in Wednesday’s gathering can click this link to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

If you would prefer to share thoughts in other ways- through individual conversations, in writing, or in any other approach, Ivonne and I welcome that as well, and are happy to schedule other conversations with us or with others.

My thanks to all of you for your extraordinary work, care and commitment for the College and for our students. I am deeply grateful, and look forward to our continued progress together.

All my best,
Sarah

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George Floyd’s funeral was today. We mourn his loss as well as the loss of so many others whose lives have been taken in appalling, heartbreaking acts of anti-Black violence. In the wake of Mr. Floyd’s death, voices are being raised around the world about the grave impacts of systemic racism, and about the urgent actions we must take to create communities that are truly safe, equitable and just.

Black lives matter. We must move forward from our long, terrible history of racism to create communities where Black lives are valued, honored and safe. During last Wednesday’s Community Care gathering, over 400 students, staff, faculty and alumni reaffirmed the urgent need for this change, both here on our campus and more broadly. Before registering, attendees were asked to share what they will do to end racism. We compiled some of their answers����to visualize our community’s collective commitment to this critical mission.

69ֱ�� stands against racism in all of its forms, and we will redouble our efforts to create a campus that is truly equitable and inclusive. We are sharing that work publicly so that we can be held accountable for that commitment. To track our progress, please visit the��Diversity and Inclusion resources��webpage and the��most recent annual update��, to see where we have already taken action and what work lies ahead.

I have been in discussions with student leaders and alumni who are calling for reforms to the College’s relationship with local law enforcement and the College’s approach to safety and protective services and student support. While the College does not hold any contracts with the Wooster Police Department, there are definitely ways that we can change our practices to improve, and to ensure that the campus is a safe and welcoming place for every student to learn and thrive. To move this work forward, I have consulted with Dr. Ayesha Bell Hardaway, ’97, who is a scholar of race and the law, Wooster Police Chief Matthew Fisher ’95, and College of Wooster students and staff. Dr. Hardaway is also a professor and the Director of the Social Justice Law Center at Case Western Reserve University. Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Ivonne García and I will share specific plans for changes in policy and practice as we develop them in collaboration with our students, staff, faculty, alumni and other experts.

69ֱ�� community can move forward collectively by listening to, supporting and amplifying Black voices, learning, standing in solidarity with those who are harmed by racism, and making anti-racist actions a priority in everything we do, every day. Although the College is not currently in session, we want to make headway now, and are beginning in the following ways:

• We are planning summer virtual gatherings for Black faculty, staff, and students.
• Dr. García will host two open forum discussions of Ibram X. Kendi’s��How to be an AntiRacist��on June 18 and June 25 at 7pm Eastern time, via Zoom. All College of Wooster community members are welcome and encouraged to participate. You can��.
• The Department of History is hosting a virtual roundtable entitled��, featuring four scholars of the Black experience in the United States, Professors Shannon King, Nicosia Shakes, Charles Peterson, and Kabria Baumgartner. This program will take place on Wednesday, June 10 , from 7:00 – 8:30 pm, via Zoom. To register,��.
• We will host additional Teach-In events, to enable all community members to come together for presentations and discussions. We are eager to share more details on these events as they are finalized.

I hope we will see one another again in Wooster soon. In the meantime, the crucial work to create just communities around the world continues to grow, and to make a difference. Thank you for being a part of it.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bolton

The post Racism, Wooster and the Urgent Work Ahead appeared first on 69ֱ��.

I am writing to share very concerning news.

SPS received a tip from a student earlier this week about hate propaganda posted on campus that he subsequently removed. Today we received another tip from a faculty member about multiple additional postings.

The postings, stickers which display messages like “Not Stolen, Conquered” are attributed to the Patriot Front, a designated hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Patriot Front focuses on a fascist agenda and uses theatrical rhetoric and activism that can be easily distributed as propaganda for its chapters across the country. This group has targeted dozens of campuses with white supremacist stickers across the country in recent months.

Such acts of hatred, intimidation, vandalism and trespassing are strictly prohibited on 69ֱ�� campus and will not be tolerated.

We are working with local law enforcement to uncover as much information about this as possible, to find and hold accountable those responsible, and to ensure the safety of everyone on our campus, including through increased patrols.

These postings and the hateful and racist sentiments behind them are antithetical to our values as a community and are frightening and deeply disturbing for many. ��Although many students are leaving campus today for fall break, support resources continue to be available for all members of our community, including through the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Dean of Students’ Office, the Provost’s Office, Human Resources and the Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Ivonne Garcia.

It is crucial that every person in our community is safe and feels welcome and supported as we respond to this hateful and racist act.�� Dr. Garcia and others are working on possibilities for gathering in support and solidarity, and we will be in touch soon with more details.

We will update you soon with any new information we gather about these stickers and about the ways our campus is responding.

The safety, equity and inclusion of our campus is increased when our community comes together.�� If you or someone you know becomes aware of a discriminatory or bias-related incident, please let us know right away so we can address it immediately.�� You��are encouraged to use one of more of the following reporting options:��

• ��(where you may choose to identify yourself or not)
• Contact Security and Protective Services: 2590 (from campus phone) or 330-263-2590
• Call the Anonymous Tip Line: 2337 (from campus phone) or 330-263-2337

• Contact the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer: 2167 (from campus phone) or��330-263-2167.

Thank you to all who are coming together to support one another and to reaffirm our mission, our community, and the diversity of people from across the country and around the world who are Wooster.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bolton, President

The post Hate Propaganda Stickers on Campus and Next Steps appeared first on 69ֱ��.