Hello everyone,

We have had an eventful few days on campus.  MUPD and the Provost’s Office have reassured everyone that campus is safe today, and extra officers are around to watch for any possible threats or incidents.  The Libraries have had NO threats or incidents in the last few days, and the accused perpetrator of the YikYak threats of violence on campus has been apprehended this morning.  There have been no verifiable events of violence but all threats must be taken seriously.  Please remember to sign up for MU Alerts. They have been improved, and do contain important information.  Remember that if the Libraries close or have altered hours, you will get a call from the Emergency Phone Tree. Mark Ellis is working on updating it this week, and supervisors need to be sure to have a way to reach all of their people.

Nevertheless, we ask that you all be aware that if anyone feels threatened, from racially-based threats or anything else, the person should follow the instructions MUPD sent to the whole campus community: try to record the situation if possible, get a car license number if applicable, but call 911 right away.  Feeling fearful or threatened on campus is not acceptable in any way, and we must keep reporting bad things whenever they happen.

If any of you out there have concerns, I encourage you to contact me directly, or Sheryl Cullina, or Pat Jones.  We need to pull together and continue to focus on our important work preserving knowledge and facilitating learning and scholarship while supporting our students and all those working for justice. Eradicating incidents of racism and bigotry will require effort from all of us in the Mizzou community. Please extend support and empathy to all those in our community who are hurting when you encounter them.

I’m going to quote from the Provost’s message yesterday:

“The University of Missouri has experienced a very difficult time that has affected every member of the campus community, including the staff members who keep this institution running every day. Cultural change often begins on university campuses, and the process is not always easy. The healing starts now even as the hard work continues and intensifies on our campus.

Our students have and need the support of our staff as well as our faculty as the campus moves forward with the process of healing and as the work of cultural change continues. Support is also available to our students through MU Student Health and the MU Counseling Center.

Let us all continue to learn together. We know that many members of our staff have daily contact with our students and that you can be a part of helping our campus heal and improve and thrive. Whether or not you work directly with students, please know that we are grateful for your presence on our campus. The Office of the Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative offers resources for staff and faculty who need assistance.

Our students have shown great courage in their efforts to bring change to our institution, and their hard work and the support of the MU community give me great hope for the future we will create together.

Sincerely,

Garnett S. Stokes

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor”

And let’s not forget the Kinder Institute is now going to Jesse Hall. That’s a win for us.  We have to hang on one more week, and get a win for the library fee.  Special thanks to all who are working hard to make that happen, and to our Library Ambassadors and student workers.  Remember to thank them!

Ann