At DePaul, we don’t always get it right, but we are sincerely committed to ensuring that all students are included and feel a sense of belonging. It is in this vein that I would like to sincerely apologize for a letter about campus safety that I released to the community on Monday, Oct. 9, stating that my office was working with the Black Student Union to design solutions around the new ID policies on campus. I am very sorry for this error and truly meant no harm. I am grateful to the BSU for bringing this mistake to my attention so promptly.
Last night, I met with BSU leadership and apologized to them directly. We agreed to re-engage all the student groups who are part of the Cultural and Resource Centers at DePaul with my office, the Office of Student Affairs, and the Office of Public Safety. The purpose of this re-engagement will be to thoroughly evaluate the new safety protocols on campus. Our shared approach will be to find the right balance between keeping the campus safe and promoting practices that ensure the comfortable use of our facilities, without bias, for all in our community.
I
appreciate BSU’s willingness to have an open and honest discussion with me. I very much look forward to our work together and will report back to the university community about our progress.
Thank you for your understanding and patience as we navigate solutions to deliver the best possible college experience to all our students at DePaul.