Engineering in Solidarity:
A Message from Dean McLean
Dear WSCOE Community:
On Friday, the Office of the Vice President for Diversity shared a powerful message of solidarity that was reiterated by President McConnell in our stance against racism, hate and violence.
For our college community members of color, we condemn these racist and social injustices that continue to perpetuate fear and marginalization. We acknowledge the fatigue, emotional stress, frustration and deep pain that is continually experienced by Black and African American members of our community, and we are in this together to support you.
We are committed to advancing the diversity of our college community, building a culture of inclusion, and researching and embracing equitable solutions to global challenges. We are committed to being agents of change to break down structures of inequity that perpetuate racism and bias.
We know we have work to do. We must stand up and speak out in support of one another.
Our campus community has a number of resources that I encourage you to read and utilize:
- Vice President for Diversity, VPD Educate Yourself, and subscribe to the Diversity Newsletter
- Student Support Resources from the Vice President for Student Affairs
- CSU Health Network
- Office of Equal Opportunity
- WSCOE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
If you experience or witness an act of bias, it is important that you report it using CSU’s Bias Reporting System.
Black Rams Matter. Let’s take care of each other.
Dave McLean
Addressing racism:
A Message from Dean McLean and staff
Dear WSCOE community:
It is greatly upsetting to us that we are sending out yet another note about an act of racism or hatred that has been tied to our college. This most recent incident, described in the Collegian as the public posting of a fake restaurant that disparages Asians, is deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable. The article specifically references our college: “Students associated with the Instagram account and the reviews on Google are predominantly connected to the engineering department.”
We are saddened that some members of our campus community seem to have no empathy or understanding of the harmful impact of their hateful message on their fellow students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community. To be a member of the WSCOE community means we care about people. We solve problems for people. We take the best ideas and innovation from as many places as possible for the best outcome, which means that we have ZERO tolerance for racism and hatred. The college is working on a number of initiatives outlined in the diversity strategic plan on this page to ensure that everyone feels welcome here, and we are all responsible for creating a place of inclusion. There is no place for people in our community who cannot embrace the university’s Principles of Community.
This is articulated through the statement below released by the Asian Pacific American Cultural Center (APACC) in response to this incident:
The Asian Pacific American Cultural Center (APACC) at Colorado State University is deeply disgusted and condemns the presence and increased following of this Instagram account for a non-existent restaurant. The implications of such an establishment are to propagate Anti-Asian sentiment and must be seen unequivocally as an act of racism. Even if such an establishment has the intention of situational humor, this deeply offensive creation publicizes racial vilification and continues to deter us from our mission of racial equity and inclusiveness.
Navigating COVID-19 has been made difficult during these challenging times from continued microaggressions from our national leadership referring to the “Chinese Virus” and “Kung Flu.” With the recent rise of racism and hate directed at the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) community, this account desecrates the role and importance of food to APIDA culture. This highly offensive account only heightens and denigrates the narrative of the Asian community by perpetuating problematic Asian stereotypes including racial colloquialisms, insulting logo, and the national narrative of the “Chinese Virus.”
The various accounts on social media (Instagram, Yelp and Google) are a continuous reminder of the harmful, appalling, and disgusting nuances that white supremacy has created and allows to be perpetuated with little accountability, by encouraging the mockery and oppression of the APAIDA community.
We cannot stay silent any longer. APACC denounces this fake establishment and supports the university efforts to ask that this account be removed.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you are feeling upset and hurt by this incident or if you want to share additional concerns. We stand together against racism. We are here to support you.
Dave McLean, Dean
Melissa Burt, Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion
Anthony Marchese, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs
