[Geoldept] Fwd: Statement to Students from the Community Ambassadors

[Susan DeBari]

Forwarding - see below.

Sue

Begin forwarded message:

From: Regina Barber DeGraaff <barberr at wwu.edu<mailto:barberr at wwu.edu>>
Subject: Statement to Students from the Community Ambassadors
Date: June 2, 2020 at 4:27:03 PM PDT
To: Merrill Peterson <peterson at wwu.edu<mailto:peterson at wwu.edu>>, Mary Ann Merrill <maryann at wwu.edu<mailto:maryann at wwu.edu>>, Spencer Anthony-Cahill <sacahill at wwu.edu<mailto:sacahill at wwu.edu>>, Carrie Annett <annettc at wwu.edu<mailto:annettc at wwu.edu>>, Phil Nelson <phil at wwu.edu<mailto:phil at wwu.edu>>, Ridley Williams <willi488 at wwu.edu<mailto:willi488 at wwu.edu>>, Jeff Newcomer <newcomj at wwu.edu<mailto:newcomj at wwu.edu>>, Amy Lazzell <lazzela at wwu.edu<mailto:lazzela at wwu.edu>>, Susan DeBari <debari at wwu.edu<mailto:debari at wwu.edu>>, Kate Blizzard <blizzak at wwu.edu<mailto:blizzak at wwu.edu>>, Tjalling Ypma <tjypma at wwu.edu<mailto:tjypma at wwu.edu>>, Teresa Sherwood <teresas at wwu.edu<mailto:teresas at wwu.edu>>, David Hartenstine <hartend at wwu.edu<mailto:hartend at wwu.edu>>, Janelle Leger <legerj at wwu.edu<mailto:legerj at wwu.edu>>, Sara Lavender <lavends3 at wwu.edu<mailto:lavends3 at wwu.edu>>, Emily Borda <bordae at wwu.edu<mailto:bordae at wwu.edu>>, Lori Torres <torresl at wwu.edu<mailto:torresl at wwu.edu>>, Brad Johnson <bljohnso at wwu.edu<mailto:bljohnso at wwu.edu>>
Cc: Dimitri Dounas-Frazer <dounasd at wwu.edu<mailto:dounasd at wwu.edu>>, Lina Dahlberg <dahlbec at wwu.edu<mailto:dahlbec at wwu.edu>>, Mariana Smit Vega Garcia <smitvem at wwu.edu<mailto:smitvem at wwu.edu>>, Melissa Rice <ricem5 at wwu.edu<mailto:ricem5 at wwu.edu>>, Moushumi Sharmin <sharmim at wwu.edu<mailto:sharmim at wwu.edu>>, Jill Davishahl <davishj at wwu.edu<mailto:davishj at wwu.edu>>, Tim Kowalczyk <kowalct2 at wwu.edu<mailto:kowalct2 at wwu.edu>>, Mikayla King <kingm24 at wwu.edu<mailto:kingm24 at wwu.edu>>, Heather Greenlaw <shorth at wwu.edu<mailto:shorth at wwu.edu>>

Hello,

Can you please distribute this message of acknowledgment and support to students in your departments as soon as possible? It is authored by the CSE Community Ambassadors (CCed here) and myself?

Thank you

*****************************************************************************

Dear students,

We, the undersigned Faculty Ambassadors and STEM Inclusion and Outreach Specialist, abhor the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Tony McDade by current or former law enforcement officers. We express solidarity with individuals and groups organizing privately and publicly in resistance to systemic anti-Black racism in policing, and we affirm that all Black students, staff, and faculty at WWU deserve time to rest, grieve, and heal. At this moment, we are reminded of the poignant and unfinished essay by Professor Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, What is the plan for including Tamir Rice in #STEM?<https://nam03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F%40chanda%2Fwhat-is-the-plan-for-including-tamir-rice-in-stem-15c1d7a912e&data=02%7C01%7Cdebari%40wwu.edu%7Cd2f6e9ad82e9408a4cff08d8074c74e9%7Cdc46140ce26f43efb0ae00f257f478ff%7C0%7C0%7C637267372264385636&sdata=bMiBbSHvtIXaPF5iRWXSYpdlrfZaShcd1GjEnPy2Lvc%3D&reserved=0>

We endorse the requests from Black student leadership, which were affirmed by WWU Faculty Senate today<https://wp.wwu.edu/facultysenatepresident/2020/06/02/steps-faculty-can-take-to-support-black-students/>. These include guidance for faculty to give students flexibility with deadlines and the option for an Incomplete grade this quarter. We remind students that: If you cannot complete your normal work at the end of this quarter, you can ask your instructors for accommodations. And, if you need more support than your instructors are providing, you can contact your Faculty Community Ambassador (contact info below and here<https://cse.wwu.edu/stem-inclusion-outreach>) and/or your department chair.

We are in the process of identifying actions we can take, or recommend, which we and others in CSE can work together to resist anti-Blackness in policing. Ideally, any action we take will strike a balance between taking initiative and consulting with Black stakeholders. In the meantime, feel free to contact us with recommendations or examples.

Sincerely,


Regina Barber DeGraaff, PhD - Physics & Astronomy / STEM Inclusion and Outreach Specialist
(barberr at wwu.edu<mailto:barberr at wwu.edu>)
Dimitri R. Dounas-Frazer, PhD - Physics & Astronomy / SMATE (dounasd at wwu.edu<mailto:dounasd at wwu.edu>)
Melissa Rice, PhD - Geology, Physics & Astronomy (melissa.rice at wwu.edu<mailto:melissa.rice at wwu.edu>)
Mariana Smit Vega Garcia, PhD - Mathematics (Mariana.SmitVegaGarcia at wwu.edu<mailto:Mariana.SmitVegaGarcia at wwu.edu>)
Tim Kowalczyk, PhD - Chemistry / AMSEC (kowalct2 at wwu.edu<mailto:kowalct2 at wwu.edu>)
Moushumi Sharmin, PhD - Computer Science (moushumi.sharmin at wwu.edu<mailto:moushumi.sharmin at wwu.edu> )
Lina Dahlberg, PhD - Biology (lina.dahlberg at wwu.edu<mailto:lina.dahlberg at wwu.edu>)
Jill Davishahl - Engineering (jill.davishahl at wwu.edu<mailto:jill.davishahl at wwu.edu>)





************************************************
Susan DeBari, Ph.D., she/her/hers
Professor and Interim Chair, Geology Department, MS 9080
516 High Street
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA 98225

Phone:  360-650-3588
https://cse.wwu.edu/geology/debari







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