Town Hall Follow-Up

November 15, 2018

Dear SUNY Oswego students, faculty and staff,

I keep thinking about Tuesday’s downtown Town Hall meeting. I care greatly about each of you and about this campus community. Tuesday’s meeting was very important to hold because your concerns needed to be heard by more of us, and we agree there is more to be done. That meeting was a first step. I am very proud of all our students who shared their truths and experiences, and in doing so, were brave and respectful in discussing important information and impactful issues.

We heard you and acknowledge your truth. Tuesday night's meeting will help us build a better tomorrow. As a result of what we heard at the meeting and after, we are taking immediate action in the following ways:

We have planned a second Town Hall to be held on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 1 to 3 p.m., in the Marano Campus Center auditorium (MCC 132), so that we can continue to listen to one another, support one another, and make change that matters for you and the entire campus community;
I have asked members of my President’s Council to reach out to our cultural/affinity student groups and organizations to attend your regular meetings (if you agree) and to hear you and be a conduit for you to the senior administration;
We have scheduled a community dialogue with Residence Life and Housing that will take place before Thanksgiving Break; and
We are securing implicit bias and related training for our campus (will provide an update on the training soon), in a collective effort to move forward with solutions that will foster a more supportive and welcoming environment.

We will continue to explore many formats and forums in addition to the above for continued communication and shared action. I call on each of us to work hard to suggest and discuss changes that will strengthen and further unite our campus and our community.

Please reach out to me deborah.stanley@oswego.edu if you have a concern or a question and/or please contact any member of the campus leadership team whom you are confident will carry your message forward.

I wish every one of you a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday. I am blessed to work and live among the SUNY Oswego community and am deeply grateful for each of you.

Sincerely,

Deborah F. Stanley
President