Message of support, solidarity and unequivocal stance against racism

Dear UW-River Falls Campus Community,

As you know, the recent unjustified and brutal death of George Floyd in police custody has ignited intense emotions in the Twin Cities, as well as in Madison and Milwaukee, across the nation and worldwide. I want you to know that I am outraged and heartbroken over what has occurred and, on behalf of UW-River Falls, wish to express our solidarity with the communities who are most impacted by these events, especially our students and employees of color. We also offer our deepest condolences to the Floyd family and the Twin Cities at large. 

As stated in our campus core values, we are committed to: a community of mutual respect, professional behavior, academic freedom and appreciation of individual differences and rich cultural diversity. We are also committed to fairness, accountability and justice. In these times, we are called upon to renew our stance as a campus that is staunchly antiracist and aware of the need for systemic change to combat racism in all its forms. I therefore encourage every member of our campus community to rise to the challenge of “being the change we wish to see in the world,” helping our students and ourselves better understand the issues at hand and doing what we can – personally and collectively – to address injustice and inequality.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Dean Van Galen