Last night, the Ethos Political Action Committee at Wellesley wrote a letter in solidarity with the many students around the country, most recently at the University of Missouri, whose activism is bringing to the forefront issues of racism that have long persisted in our society. The letter also called attention to matters of race, inclusion, and equity at Wellesley.
I support our students. Provost Shennan, Dean St. John, Dean Wolfson, and I responded to the Ethos Political Action Committee with the letter below.
Dear Students of the Ethos Political Action Committee at Wellesley:
We join with you in drawing attention to issues of racism and equity at campuses across the country.
As the announcement of the president acknowledged in January, Wellesley is not immune: people of color and others from non-dominant groups who live, study, and work here have suffered from racial injustice. For the past six months, members of the President’s Commission on Ethnicity, Race, and Equity (CERE) have been meeting with groups and constituencies on campus to identify policies and practices in need of change. With the Commission, we are focused on issues such as enabling Wellesley to attract and retain more faculty of color, on addressing inequities in students’ educational experience, and on coordinating the existing diversity programming at the College. CERE will continue to explore other issues of concern and develop recommendations based on what it learns. We are committed to supporting and advancing this critical work.
While progress has been made and many of the items mentioned are priorities at Wellesley, we acknowledge that much more work remains to be done. We have an unwavering commitment to a diverse community, and to building a Wellesley in which every member feels they fully belong, and each member feels secure and respected. And we have an unwavering commitment to you, our students. We hear you and stand with you.
Kim Bottomly, President
Andy Shennan, Provost and Dean of the College
Joy St. John, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid
Adele Wolfson, Interim Dean of Students