May 30, 2020

Dear Students and Colleagues,

Over the past few weeks, many of us have watched in horror the widely circulated videos of separate incidents leading to the deaths of two African American men, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. These tragedies have devastated the African American community and should be deeply impactful for each and every one of us. These video images defy explanation and we at Drexel share in the nation’s sense of mourning and deep concern.

These two events are the most recent examples of brutality of this nature and cause me to believe even more strongly in our collective efforts to build an inclusive environment that recognizes and respects people of all backgrounds and experiences. I remain committed to this and encourage you to do your part to eliminate racism in our university and our country. As a part of this commitment, Kim Gholston, Drexel’s Chief Diversity Officer, will facilitate a virtual dialogue about race for members of the Drexel community. In this way, we hope to provide a space for dialogue that acknowledges the deep-rooted history of marginalization and pain in the African American community and explore how we can be active allies. Information on joining the dialogue will be shared as soon as the event is scheduled.

The University also encourages anyone who has been affected by or witnessed discrimination, harassment or bias, including graffiti, to immediately report the incident to OED by calling 215.895.1405 or emailing oed@drexel.edu at any time. For emergencies or after-hours reports, the University encourages all individuals to contact the Drexel University Police Department at 215.895.2222. DUPD will share these reports with OED.

Please know that students in need of individual support in processing these currents can contact the Office of Counseling and Health Services. Faculty and professional staff can contact the Employee Assistance Program.

I believe that Drexel can influence the lives of our community for the better. We are committed to ensuring that Drexel University is a campus environment where all people — students, faculty, professional staff and guests — feel welcome and safe to be themselves.

Sincerely,

John Fry
President