A Message for Healing After the Violence

October 30, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

Recent violence and acts of hate throughout our country are tragedies that reverberate across our entire nation. These attacks, most recently in Pittsburgh, Kentucky, and the targeting of individuals with bombs through the mail, have caused us all to think deeply about the country we live in today and what we want our communities to be. These acts touch all people of conscience, decency, faith, and peace, including on our campus. All forms of hatred must be stopped; this cannot go without stating and restating. On behalf of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, I express our deepest condolences to the families and communities of those impacted by these tragic events.

Our university is a place of converging people and ideas. It is what makes us special and what makes me proud. Though we are not immune to the ills that plague society, we draw strength from this convergence. In 2017, our Task Force on Inclusion and Community Values stated rightly that "promoting intercultural dialogue and cooperation remains one of the most pressing issues of our time, especially in this moment of deep ideological division. Diversity, inclusion, and academic excellence are mutually reinforcing dimensions that ought to be at the heart of the intellectual mission of institutions of higher education in the 21st century."

The work of the task force delivered the road map to create the campus climate we seek. We have the opportunity to learn through dialogue that results in personal growth and the evolution of our university into a more understanding, just, and empathetic place. Our work on a better nation begins right here On the Banks.

Sincerely,

Christopher Molloy, Interim Chancellor
Rutgers University–New Brunswick