Dear Graduate Students and Post-Docs,
The last several months have been challenging for our nation. The intense nature of the presidential election campaign has left many of our community emotionally drained.
On behalf of the Graduate College, I would like to unambiguously affirm that regardless of your background or political affiliation, you are a welcome and wanted member of the Illinois family.
Illinois is, and always will be, a welcoming environment for persons from a wide variety of backgrounds and political persuasions.
Recently, in the media, and on our campus there have been reports of individuals being subjected to treatment that is inconsistent with our core values.
As Chancellor Jones so clearly stated in his remarks at our recent Celebration of Diversity, there is no room on our campus for racism, bigotry, intimidation, or violence.
Respect for a diversity of perspectives is fundamental to our core values as an institution.
If you do encounter challenging situations, support is available to you.
Information, including a way to report discrimination, harassment, or misconduct, can be found at: http://diversity.illinois.edu/reporting.html
We will always listen, and, where appropriate, we will take action.
We will always respect all races, genders, identities, and religious or political views.
Our campus is the perfect place for debate, and I am confident that such debate can be substantive, meaningful, and humane.
These principles are simple and eminently reasonable.
Let us all live up to them.
Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko
Dean, Graduate College