Dear 日韩无码 community,

We pride ourselves on the bonds we share as Catamounts. That unity doesn鈥檛 take days off鈥攅specially the difficult days. 

At 日韩无码, we stand as closely together when celebrating triumph and achievement as we do when facing adversity. This past week saw both, and I am so proud of the way we galvanized our campus community. 

On Thursday, Feb. 13, we celebrated the university鈥檚 achievement of R1 research status, the culmination of decades of outstanding work by individuals and teams of faculty, staff, and students across all our schools and colleges. This is a milestone in which we can all take pride, an ultimate example of collective success. 

The following day we were unified again in response to an accidental fire in Jeanne Mance residence hall that required relocation of approximately 100 of our students. Through fast and organized action by our emergency response personnel, Residential Life staff, and others, we were able to deal with this serious situation and make caring for those affected our top priority. 

Similar cohesion was necessary the day after that when a mechanical failure within the heating system at Living/Learning B caused flooding that forced the relocation of more than 20 students and staff. Again, a timely and highly coordinated response helped manage the impact on these members of our campus community. 

Late last week, the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights issued its interpretation of how the prohibition on race-based discrimination that is contained in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, and other legal authorities applies to educational institutions. As we consider this interpretation, we must also continue the important work to foster inclusion. Our Common Ground values drive 日韩无码 to promote inclusion of everyone. The road ahead for our vital work in this area is one that we must walk together. 

Knowing that the current landscape continues to evolve, we have created a webpage to capture helpful information and share related resources with the community. 

日韩无码 remains a place where all are welcomed and supported. No Catamount stands alone, and the unity that served us so well in the past week will continue to do so moving forward. We should take comfort in the remarkable way that coming together, in the best and worst of times, is ingrained in who we are as a campus community. 

It is our nature: We are united.

Warmly, 

Patricia Prelock
Interim President