Request Information
Ready to find out what MSU Denver can do for you? We’ve got you covered.
Dear Roadrunners,
Monday is World Kindness Day, an international observance that encourages people to bridge differences and focus on the common threads that bind us. It’s an opportune moment to pause and reflect on something that is all too often overlooked: our shared humanity and our innate capacity for kindness and compassion.
It’s no secret that we are living in extremely polarized times, both at home and abroad. The conflicts in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and beyond and the political and cultural turmoil here in the U.S. are just a few troubling examples, and many of us understandably have strong feelings about what is happening.
That’s why the reminder to practice kindness and tolerance with one another is particularly relevant.
Here at MSU Denver, our role is to educate and provide forums for learning by engaging in thoughtful, respectful discourse. Implicit in that mission is a deep-rooted commitment to freedom of expression and the understanding that we can disagree without being disagreeable. This requires treating one another with civility and respect so we can open our minds and truly take into consideration differing viewpoints.
I know that emotions are especially raw right now; and when passions run high, it’s easy to dismiss others, or make them into objects of contempt. So let me be clear: while we support the free expression of opinions, discrimination, bullying and threats of violence cannot be tolerated.
For faculty and staff members engaging with students on sensitive topics, it’s incumbent upon us to demonstrate through classroom discourse that for real dialogue to occur, we need to listen before we speak. Talking past- or at – each other never yields true understanding. We should seek to understand and to persuade, not to intimidate.
I hope you will take some time this week to contemplate how we can practice speaking our minds with respect for others and with kindness, not hatred, in our hearts. Our capacity to do so is what sustains my hope for a better future.
Sincerely,
Janine Davidson, Ph.D.
President
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Our partners at the Auraria Higher Education Center are working diligently to safeguard the security of our community, and MSU Denver offers ongoing resources and support.
Campus Resources: