Regarding recent events in Charlottesville, VA

August 14, 2017

Dear Colleagues,

At Texas Woman’s University, we embrace a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff. Given the events and violence displayed in Charlottesville, Virginia, people from many social identities are experiencing a wide range of emotions and reactions. I want to reach out to our university community to provide a message of encouragement regarding the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and faculty.

Now more than ever, we remain committed to diversity, inclusion, and the promotion of positive social change. As Pioneers, we believe in respectful disagreement and engaging in productive civil discourse. However, we strongly denounce and reject the hatred and violence, particularly in this case, those associated with white supremacy and anti-Semitism.

Over the next few weeks, we will have many Pioneers arriving on our campuses. Please be mindful of our diverse Texas Woman’s community as they process these national events.

For students struggling with the personal impact of these events, we remind and encourage them to visit Counseling and Psychological Services for additional support.

For faculty and staff, we recommend referring to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for support through HR.

I want to acknowledge and thank the CAIT (Campus Advocacy and Inclusion Team) response team for helping us address the needs of our community during difficult times. I hope each time we can emerge stronger and more resilient. I thank each of you for the role you play in our #campuswithaheart.

Respectfully,

Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D.