December 12, 2024
Greetings Campus Community,
As the semester approaches its conclusion, I want to thank you for the commitment, perseverance, and thoughtfulness you’ve displayed from all corners of our campus and from all the spaces in which we live, learn, and work together.
The distressing racist event that took place this semester—and the important conversations it has fostered—underscore the essential role each of you play in creating an inclusive campus. We want to continue advancing concrete actions, focus, and accountability to strengthen our community.
Last month, President Iuliano outlined several Action Steps on Bias Awareness, which were followed up by the community dialogue on November 21. I’m writing today to share additional information about one of those specific steps.
After a few meetings with student leaders, particularly Black Student Union (BSU) and GASA (Gettysburg African Student Association) representatives; Vice President for College Life Anne Ehrlich; and College Life personnel, I committed to communicate at least once per semester to provide an update on bias incidents and actions taken.
You can access the bias reports for the current Fall 2024 semester through the Bias Response and Education website. The website breaks down the number of incidents, how they were categorized by the reporting parties, and the actions taken. For each incident, the reporting party was contacted and directed to resources, as well as advised about options for resolution. Please note that while we maintain a 24-48 hours initial response pledge, following this initial response, the timing of a resolution may vary. I want to stress the importance of this best practice, research-based Bias Protocol tool as a source of understanding, documentation, and response to incidents.
I will be in touch after the winter break with more information about our next steps and campus-wide Bias Educational Campaign.
In the meantime, I wish you all a very enjoyable and hopeful holiday break.
!Saludos y felicidades!,
Eloísa