December 7, 2022

Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Central Tenets of the Baruch Experience

Dear Baruch Students, Faculty, and Staff,

My heart is heavy as I reach out to our community to reinforce central tenets of the Baruch experience: diversity, inclusion, and belonging. In recent days, two incidents of antisemitism have been reported that are under investigation. These incidents occurred both on our campus and in virtual environments; they are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. All Baruch students, faculty, and staff are entitled to learn, work, and thrive in an environment where they can be open about their identities and be treated with respect and civility.

This is a very busy time of year, and unfortunately there are many stressors around us. Covid remains a presence in our lives. The national political discourse is often divisive and, at times, destabilizing. Various forms of violence continue to threaten communities and result in the senseless loss of lives. Racial tensions endure and so do expressions of antisemitic, anti-Asian, Islamophobic, homophobic, and gender/identity-based hatred. As a nation, we have made great progress but still have lots of work ahead to eradicate all forms of prejudice and bigotry. As a college community, we should be in the forefront of positive change in our society by listening to differing perspectives with an open mind, supporting each other by promoting understanding, and recognizing that we all benefit from the insights we gain from our diverse community.

The College is taking concrete steps to advance this important work. Just this semester, we launched the “Faiths, Conflicts, and Coalitions” series initiated by the Office of the Provost and the “Building Community Capacity for Conversations on Justice, the Meanings of Equality: A 2022–23 DEI Film, Lecture, and Workshop Series” produced by the Office of Diversity, Compliance, and Equity Initiatives (ODCEI), which in November brought to campus a screening and conversation around the documentary BaddDDD Sonia Sanchez. During the spring semester, we will embark on additional programs to promote meaningful engagement and dialogue among diverse groups on campus, to increase awareness and antibias activities, listening sessions, and other cooperative efforts. We are developing these initiatives to expand thinking, promote mutual understanding and positive engagement—and to ensure that all members of our community feel a sense of belonging and mutual respect and can thrive together in a supportive learning environment. Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are integral parts of the Baruch experience.

December holds many special days of celebration for different cultures in the U.S. and around the world. It is a time to come together, share our cultural practices, and appreciate one another. As we all look ahead to the coming winter break, I hope that we will do exactly that—in our own communities and here at Baruch.

Sincerely,

S. David Wu

President, Baruch College