President’s speeches, letters, and articles
Subject: Community Conversations
November 3, 2022
Dear Students, Staff and Faculty,
We write with an update on continuing our community conversations, expanding on two events organized last spring. The aim is to fulfill our commitment to fostering a campus environment that is equitable and inclusive.
This fall, we are engaging with groups of students, staff, and faculty, and we are connecting with more identity-based groups this semester. These smaller gatherings will inform a broader, campus-wide conversation planned for next semester.
All of these conversations will inform Reed’s institutional anti-racism work and our efforts to become more inclusive. We heard earlier this year about the importance of being intentional in engaging diverse voices, and particularly those most closely affected by racial trauma. Our hope is that small group conversations will help us better understand racism on campus to prepare for larger gatherings as a community next semester. We are grateful to the participants in these meetings for sharing their time and energy.
Our shared values guide us toward collective and individual actions that can have a positive effect on our campus community and on larger society. The work to create a culture and environment that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive is not easy, and we may make mistakes along the journey. It is important to engage critically and thoughtfully in our community conversations and associated work in order to effectively cultivate a campus environment where everyone can thrive and be their best selves.
In community,
Audrey Bilger
President
Phyllis Esposito
Vice President and Dean for Institutional Diversity
Karnell McConnell-Black
Vice President for Student Life
Kathy Oleson
Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Psychology
Hugh Porter
Vice President for College Relations and Planning
Milyon Trulove
Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid
Lynn Valenter
Vice President of Finance and Treasurer