To the UConn Community:

Our differences are one of our greatest strengths, and inclusion is a core value.

Over the past several days our students have shared, through a rally and reports of bias, that our own community is not immune to acts of hate and injustice, including Islamophobia. Students report hearing slurs on campus, discomfort wearing hijabs, and an unwelcoming attitude toward their faith.

Other students have reported experiencing similar things on our campuses in the past, when they felt they were targeted because of some aspect of their identity.

Broadly, these issues are very personal to me. I was born in a country that no longer exists and many members of my family perished during the Second World War. Many others died during the civil war that raged in the former Yugoslavia, and my parents died as refugees. I know what hate can do. And while the examples I cite above are extreme, they have made me sensitive to any act of bias or hate, especially in our own community. My colleagues here at UConn join me in this.

Last semester, the University formed a Bias Action Group under the leadership of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Division of Student Affairs. The Bias Action Group is a new group that will meet every semester to review our bias data, identify trends and concerns, and create programming and messaging that address the real issues present at UConn.

You may remember Dr. Daugherty and Dr. Tuitt wrote to you during the fall semester reviewing all the bias data shared with the university. In that email, they shared that bias occurs on our campuses and that bias behavior harms and insults members of our UConn community. It also reminds us of the need to care for one another, respect identity, and be a global center for learning and scholarship. We will not let the actions of a few define us.

I am happy to hear that the Bias Action Group received a number of applications and will be meeting in the next few weeks. I look forward to their work and, more specifically, to our community more frequently convening to discuss and explore the harm that hate and intolerance cause at UConn.

To be a great university, we must acknowledge when we have more work to do. We must be an institution that always works to address the impact of hateful acts and value the identity and beliefs of others.

That work continues.

Sincerely,

Radenka

UConn is a great university.

But it’s more than that. A top-ranked research institution, with campuses and staff across Connecticut,  built to inspire the global community that is UConn Nation. UConn’s talented students exceed expectations. Our expert researchers, faculty, and alumni drive Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (CIE) for a better tomorrow. We fuel the State’s economy and are committed to benefiting the greater good. This is UConn.

STUDENTS FIRST, UCONN ALWAYS. HUSKIES FOREVER.

Dr. Radenka Maric

Interim President | University of Connecticut
Office of the President: 860.486.2337

radenka.maric@uconn.edu

Twitter: @UConnPresident

Instagram: @UConnPres

Dear Students,

As a member of UConn Muslim Ummah (UCMU), the Black Muslim Association, the UConn Muslim Student Association, UConn Salaam, the UConn Hartford Muslim Student Association, or the Ahlul Bayt Student Association, we wanted to share information about a recent incident on campus and the University’s on-going response.

 On February 22, 2022, the University received a bias referral regarding an incident that occurred on February 21, 2022.  The report indicated that while walking on campus two UConn students, who are members of the Muslim community, had racial slurs directed at them by individuals out of a car window driving by.   We take these concerns seriously and promptly enacted our bias protocol when we received the referral.  That protocol involves a coordinated response effort on the part of multiple University staff and offices.

When the University receives a report of an act of bias, the incident is shared with the Office of Community Standards, UConn Police, and the Dean of Students Office. Each report is managed on a case-by-case basis and actions are taken as appropriate. The actions include:

• identifying and providing support to impacted parties,
• reviewing the incident to determine possible violations of the law and/or student code of conduct,
• determining action steps to educate the impacted community and work to repair harm.

Today, February 23, 2022, the students identified in the report were contacted and offered support by the Associate Dean of Students and the UConn Police. The UConn Police are investigating the incident. Staff from the Dean of Students Office and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion will work together to provide support for students impacted by this incident. As the referral impacted a faith community, the University Faith liaison has notified the advisor for the respective community. Working together, UConn is committed to supporting our students directly impacted by this incident and continues to seek opportunities to broadly engage our community.

Our goal is always to engage in efforts which seek to remedy and resolve the impact of hateful speech. As a community, we must continue to work together to stand up for one another and support faith expression at UConn.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you or your organization need additional support while the investigation process continues.

 

Maureen Armstrong

Associate Dean of Students/Director, Dean of Students Office

Dean of Students Office

University of Connecticut

233 Glenbrook Rd, U-4062

Storrs, CT 06269-4062

860-486-3426 (phone)

860-486-1972 (fax)

https://dos.uconn.edu

 

Joseph P. Briody, Ph.D.

Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs & Executive Director of Student Activities

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT

860.486.8151