South Dakota Mines does not condone
racism, violence, social injustice, rioting, or looting. We support the rights
of free speech and peaceful and lawful protest.
Words cannot describe the anger,
pain, and confusion we feel here at South Dakota Mines over the tragic death of
George Floyd. Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and communities of
George Floyd and others who have suffered and died as the result of racism and
brutality.
Campus leaders want South Dakota
Mines students, faculty, and staff to know that we hear you and we support you
as you strive for racial and social justice. We want everyone at South Dakota
Mines to feel safe and supported by our community. Racism, violence, and
injustice are not tolerated and have no place on our campus or in our
community. Our university seeks to serve as a model for equity and inclusion. We
stand with our students, faculty, and staff from any background and identity. We
work to provide an academic experience that embraces and learns from each
other’s differences as a pathway to make life better for all.
There are several campus resources
available to understand recent events and to talk about ways this unrest is
impacting them. The Center for
Inclusion, our counseling
staff, the Ivanhoe
International Center, ISI House,
the Dean of Students, and the President are here to help.
As a campus of scientists and
engineers, we can use our knowledge and skills to positively impact our
increasingly diverse communities. We excel at solving problems and developing
new solutions. We believe in the power of a STEM education to change lives and
make the world a better place. Our campus inclusion
statement is posted in buildings throughout campus as a reminder of who we are.
The word inclusion is listed in our campus
values for good reason; we believe those who thrive in diverse science and
engineering teams and who foster inclusive environments will make the greatest
impact and experience the greatest success in the global marketplace.
We are asking faculty, staff, students,
and alumni who are directly impacted by current events, or have been in the
past, to share their own ideas and ways we can better work together to make
this a more inclusive place. This input will be considered in future planning,
so that as Hardrockers, we can play a uniting role in a call for impactful
change.