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In a University-wide message, President Kaplan condemned the senseless acts of violence and encouraged members of the University community to continue to enrich our campus by being beacons for empathy, compassion, and inclusion.

August 7, 2019

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

Like you, I was heartbroken and angered by the horrific violence and the senseless loss of life that occurred in the mass shootings that took place over the weekend. On behalf of the entire University community, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the victims, their families and friends, and all those impacted near and far by these tragedies.

Hate, racism, and bigotry, in all of its forms, are abhorrent and cannot be tolerated. As a society, we must condemn in the strongest terms possible the detestable and cowardly acts of those who show absolutely no regard for human life.

I am reminded of the words of acclaimed writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou who said, "Hate has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet." We have an obligation as educated individuals to raise the level of civil discourse and to model behavior that unites us instead of divides us. Many members of our University community will be deeply affected by these events, and I encourage you to care for those around you.

We will reconvene as a University community in a couple weeks to start the new academic year. We all have a responsibility to stand together. Through our actions, we must continue to enrich our campus community by being beacons for empathy, compassion, and inclusion. This, ultimately, is the strongest and most emphatic statement we can make.

Sincerely,

Steven H. Kaplan, Ph.D.
President