A message from President Jasken

It was wonderful to see so many of you back on campus in person, and I look forward to connecting with many more of you in the weeks and months ahead. In my time at McDaniel, but especially in the last year, I have witnessed our collective commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Even in the face of hate, we are unwavering in these values and will continue our work toward becoming a more just and equitable campus.

Dear McDaniel Community,

I want to begin this message by thanking the many members of campus who returned to the Hill this week as we take yet another concrete step on the road to return to normal operations. It was wonderful to see so many of you back on campus in person, and I look forward to connecting with many more of you in the weeks and months ahead. There is much cause for celebration as our campus begins to open up, the rates of COVID in the county continue to decline, and increasing numbers of employees are electing to become vaccinated.

Not all the news this week has been positive, however, and I wanted to share an important update with you. Earlier this week, stickers promoting a white supremacist organization connected to the Capitol riots were found on five locations around the perimeter of campus. I want to thank the employees who reported this act, which allowed Campus Safety to immediately take steps to remove the stickers. Campus Safety is now in the process of investigating this as a bias-related incident in coordination with the Westminster Police Department and have increased their presence in the areas impacted. To better ensure the safety of our campus community, I have authorized Campus Safety to immediately purchase and install 20 additional surveillance cameras at additional key locations. This investment will increase the number of surveillance cameras on campus by 50%.

Acts of racism and hate contradict the values of our First Principles, which we as a community hold dear. I urge all members of our community to share information about any situations that they witness that undermines our campus values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. You may report a bias-related incident directly using this online form.

In my time at McDaniel, but especially in the last year, I have witnessed our collective commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Even in the face of hate, we are unwavering in these values and will continue our work toward becoming a more just and equitable campus.

Julia Jasken

President
McDaniel College