Dear Campus Community,
We are deeply troubled by the act of violence this week involving eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, in Atlanta, Georgia. Though this crime, which illustrates the insidious intersection of misogyny and racism, happened thousands of miles away, it has provoked fear and caused trauma in our own community. It is the latest, horrible act in a spate of racist acts and violence against Asian Americans both locally and across the country and we stand with our Asian American community and against these acts of violence.
Many in PSU's Asian American community are grieving for these lost lives while simultaneously feeling fearful for how a growing anti-Asian bias may impact them. We affirm our condemnation of these actions and the narratives that underlie them. PSU must be an agent in the national efforts to change this dialogue.
At times like this, our campus family must turn to one another for support. Please talk to your supervisor if you need to take time away from work as a result of this violence. Be aware that our Asian American students may be feeling pain and fear. Reach out to them. They need to know that we care and that you stand with them.
We urge anyone who is affected by the events of this week to seek support within your community. PSU offers resources for students via the Cultural Resource Centers, the Women’s Resource Center, the Center for Student Health and Counseling and the many other places on campus that provide connection and opportunities for reflection. The Dean of Student Life office is also available to meet the needs of students in distress and respond to concerns of discrimination or harassment. Employees are encouraged to access the Employee Assistance Program which offers many services related to mental health. The API Employee Resource Group has long served as a place for community, support and advocacy for our Asian American and Pacific Islander employees and continues to do so.
While standing against bias, we must simultaneously hold ourselves accountable for our own practices. If you encounter an act of bias or violence, we ask that you report it to the Bias Review Team, a campuswide group dedicated to addressing bias incidents in our community and providing resources and support.
Time and again, our faculty, staff, and students have taken a stand against racism and racist violence. As a community, we are stronger if we stand together against bias and discrimination. We know that this message is one of several from PSU leaders in response to the events of this week and we’ll be collecting them on the Provost’s communication page for everyone to read.
Sincerely,
President Stephen Percy & Provost Susan Jeffords