A Message From the President: Update on DEI Working Group

As I shared last month, I have charged a working group, composed of faculty, staff, students and administrators, to review all of UW’s DEI activities and to provide a range of suggestions on how to move forward in a way that best supports UW’s goals and is responsive to the expectations of the Legislature.

The working group has finalized its report, and I invite you to share your perspectives via this survey by Sunday, April 21, at 11:59 p.m. MDT. The members of the working group will also circulate the report to their constituent groups for input. Both forms of feedback will inform my recommendations to the Board of Trustees and will be included as an additional appendix to the report. Campus voices are critical to this process, and I look forward to reviewing your comments.

I will make my official recommendations to the Board of Trustees during its May meeting, but, in the meantime, I want to reiterate several points to questions I have heard.

• Academic freedom will continue to be protected and celebrated at this institution. We will not diminish our exceptional faculty’s ability to decide what to teach or research.
• Similarly, our freedom of expression initiative will continue to support and respect the perspectives of all and promote ways for everyone to engage productively.

I appreciate the many thoughtful conversations I have had with you and comments received on the future of DEI at UW.  While we must make some changes, I am confident that UW will continue to be a place that welcomes and values all. This is a critical issue for our campus, and I am grateful so many are invested in the process. 

Sincerely,

Ed Seidel, President