Dear CC Community,

I want to share a few updates in the wake of Tuesday's email that attacked two of our most dedicated campus community members. This white-supremacist, sexist, and anti-trans message invoked harmful stereotypes, and used vitriolic language intended to hurt our communities of color, especially our black community.

Diversity and inclusion are two of our shared core values. This racist message struck at the heart of those values.

We are supporting those committed campus leaders, and providing opportunities for dialogue and contemplation to the entire campus community. Our communities of color are especially hurting, with many understandably feeling anger and fear for their safety.

Yesterday, about 50 students, faculty, and staff gathered to show support for our colleagues, and to vent, comfort one another, and share ideas for how to respond. Students voiced their gratitude for messages of support sent by alumni, parents, and friends.

A Colorado Springs Police Department investigation is underway, and we are doing all we can to support that effort. We now know that the email was sent to about 900 members of the CC community; our email security was not compromised. We don't yet know the identity of the sender, or how the email addresses were obtained.

While no direct threat has been identified and we still do not know if the sender is connected to CC, we are increasing security measures. Campus Safety is adding to its security patrols, and our Colorado Springs Police Department community resource officer is ensuring that CSPD officers will be patrolling the campus and surrounding neighborhood at night.

Supportive gatherings on campus will continue now, during Spring Break, and after classes resume on Monday. The Butler Center, Chaplain's Office, and Wellness Resource Center are working together to provide ways for students, faculty, and staff to process and heal. The Counseling Center will meet students' needs and waive fees if needed. Counseling through EAP is available for faculty and staff.

Academic departments and programs have a robust lineup of events in Block 7 for deeper examination of racism and sexism. Students also can use pre-registration as an opportunity to discuss with faculty how to further incorporate the study of social inequalities in their coursework.

At our First Mondays event, previously scheduled speaker Gregg Deal, a First Nation artist and activist, will talk about "Indigenous Identity and Existence: Fighting Erasure and Racism." The campus community will be invited to a lunch panel afterward, featuring Deal and several of our faculty members in a discussion on racism.

We will continue to work on ways to strengthen and empower our community to call out racism in all of its forms every day on our campus and commit to cultivating an inclusive campus culture that recognizes the various intersections of identities that make up the CC community.

We invite alumni, parents, the campus community, and friends to show their support and solidarity with our communities of color, students, faculty, and staff via social media. Your support is appreciated and makes us stronger.


Sincerely,


Jill