Email from Janine Davidson, Ph.D., MSU Denver President

 

Aug. 12, 2020

 

Dear Roadrunner community,

It has been two months since I made the commitment that Metropolitan State University of Denver will engage in the anti-racism work necessary to create change on our campus and in the broader community. Since then, I have listened to and spoken with many students, faculty and staff, as well as members of the greater community about how the University can fully support systemic change through diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

I went into these conversations with an understanding that MSU Denver has worked hard in recent decades to become a more diverse and inclusive campus. I came out of them realizing there is still more work to do — and that this work begins with creating an environment where faculty, staff and students feel truly supported.

This starts with the development and adoption of a universitywide plan to bring more diversity to our faculty and staff through better recruitment and development efforts, and the campus-climate cultivation necessary to ensure retention. Doing so also requires of us to build on MSU Denver’s history and legacy by further investing in and sustaining some of the outstanding work being done in existing programs such as the Higher Education Diversity Summit (HEDS), Tenure-Track Supper Club and Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) cohort faculty-development efforts, among other endeavors, both longstanding and recently initiated.

The vice president of Diversity and Inclusion is collaborating with the Senior Leadership team on such initiatives and strategies as we work toward becoming an anti-racist University. We will be sharing more at the September Board meeting, where our Trustees will discuss their commitment to this goal and their newly established Sustainable Racial Justice Committee.

Thank you to those who have been candid with me about your frustrations, your concerns and your experiences. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow from you.

Sincerely,

Janine Davidson, Ph.D.
President