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Dear Campus Community,

With this weekend’s release of body and sky camera footage of Tyre Nichols’ violent arrest and beating, we witnessed another atrocious act of violence against a person of color. Like you, I am shocked and heartbroken by the tragic brutality of this incident.

As a country, we are once again faced with painful questions about violence in our society, institutionalized racism, and the failure of systems that are intended to protect our safety and civil rights.  These questions are critical for us to address both as a community and as individuals. 

Feelings of anger, despair and hopelessness are natural responses to tragedies like these.  Please know that there are a number of resources on campus to help support you. Students, if you would like to talk to someone, SU counselors will be available both in-person and online. Our Counseling Center can also refer you to an off-campus provider should you wish to speak to someone outside of the SU community. SU faculty and staff, our are available to you free of charge. Faculty, Staff, and Students are also encouraged to reach out to the staff in the Office of Diversity & Inclusion for opportunities to process and unpack their thoughts and feelings that may come up at this time.

We are defined by the diversity of those who make up our community. We as ºÚÁÏÍø will commit to build our community based on our principles of inclusion, respect, due process, and belonging to create a better future together.

Sincerely,

Dr. Carolyn Lepre

President