Dear Strategic Resources and Support team,
I, like many of you, continue to mourn the two deaths in a residence hall on CU’s Colorado Springs campus last week. Acts of violence occur too regularly at institutions of higher education, but they are especially jarring when they occur so close to home. What continually gives me hope is not only the incredible community of care you all exemplify across the Boulder campus but your willingness to extend care to our colleagues and students on the other CU campuses during times of need.
Gratitude for your actions
Without hesitation, many of you immediately lent your support and expertise to UCCS. Police Chief Doreen Jokerst and CUPD, Vice Chancellor Jon Leslie and the Strategic Relations and Communications team, and Associate Vice Chancellor Jessica Doty and our Health and Wellness Services team all offered resources to help our UCCS colleagues and provide safety, counseling and crisis communications support. I am grateful for each and every one of you who shared your expertise and your compassion.
Safety on campus
The tragic events of last week underscore the vital role of public safety on a university campus. At a time when we are focused on promoting wellness and mental health across campus, we must recognize that safety is a precondition to wellness, and I am grateful for so many of your efforts to make the campus a safe place for our community to study, teach and work.
We are fortunate to have Marlon Lynch set to join us on March 6 as our new Associate Vice Chancellor of Public Safety. He brings to us decades of experience in leading public safety organizations on college campuses, and he inherits a team in our public safety division who are already leaders in the field and committed to making continual improvements. One of Marlon’s first tasks will be to onboard a new role dedicated to providing a well-coordinated threat assessment process that holistically integrates mental health and community intervention response as a way to assess, manage and mitigate threats.
Caring for each other
My hope is that our culture of care endures. This includes utilizing campus reporting resources in the event of things like mental health concerns, harassment or other concerning conduct. It also includes using, or helping others use, the resources campus provides to support our people through trauma. Most importantly, it means being kind, compassionate and supportive to all in our community.
Other SRS news and notes
-
Comment on the CAP: The open comment period for our draft Climate Action Plan remains open through March 5. Your input is vital as we craft CU Boulder’s road map to carbon neutrality.
-
COO on DEI: I have been excited to hear about the ways in which your unit leaders and teams have been executing on your DEI action plans. One item staff in the COO’s office are participating in this month as we strive for continual education is the Center for Teaching and Learning’s Canvas Course on Anti Racism. I encourage everyone who is seeking additional learning opportunities to explore the self-paced course.
With gratitude for all you do,
Pat