May 27, 2021
Dear Colleagues,
Several of you have reached out to me in pain over the dramatic escalation of anti-Semitic discrimination, hateful speech, and violence that we are seeing across the country and our world. I also know that rising incidents of hate speech and violent persecution have impacted many other communities of faith, including our Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh communities as well.
I find myself, yet again, in this sadly familiar space, aching alongside members of our community who know the reality of hate as a response to their existence. Yet, from within this space, my determination is renewed – impassioned, even – to use the privilege of my position to do more than grieve over this all-too-common reality. In addition to any comfort that shared grief may provide to members of our Jewish community, our Muslim community, our Hindu community, our Sikh community, and/or to those who have family and friends of these and other minoritized faiths, I offer my commitment: CSUCI’s Inclusive Excellence Action Plan is our campus’s path ahead toward diversity, equity, and inclusivity on every dimension of our shared, human identity.
I can avow that religious and ethnic persecution of any kind has no place at CSUCI. This is not a matter of politics for me. It is a matter of personal conviction in the knowledge that every person has an equal right to their beliefs and to live with dignity as their birthright. The position that I take is to denounce every form of religious and ethnic persecution, and to ensure that all members of our campus community understand that our Title IX & Inclusion office is standing by, ready to respond in the event that discrimination of any kind is seen or experienced on our campus and at any University-sponsored event. I place the office of my interim presidency behind these words and affirm my unwavering commitment to true inclusive excellence.
If you need support, I encourage you to reach out to the resources included below and get the help you need.
Title IX & Inclusion
Employee Assistance Program
Let us all stand with each other in solidarity, adding the strength of our numbers to support those facing any form of discrimination, oppression and persecution.
Sincerely,
Richard Yao, Ph.D.
Interim President