June 10, 2020
The Office of Global Strategies, International Student and Scholar Office, Education Abroad Office, and Programs in English as a Second Language carry out the University’s mission of access and success for all by supporting diversity and inclusion in our student body, education abroad opportunities and global partnerships.
Over the last several weeks, University of Nebraska leadership—including President Carter, Chancellor Green, Vice Chancellor Barker, the UNL student body president and many others—have openly and forcefully denounced hatred and racism, calling for justice and systematic change. We are proud of the ongoing dialogue taking place at our institution, and the Global Affairs units add our voices in standing in solidarity with the Black community. We have also struggled with the unjust and horrific death of George Floyd, among many others. We collectively grieve their loss and the trauma felt by the Black students, faculty and staff who are part of our community.
Last week, Chancellor Green called on the entire university community to join UNL in our pursuit of Anti-Racism and Racial Equity. We affirm that now must be different, and Global Affairs is dedicated to this journey. We recognize this important work cannot and should not be a single action, but rather, it must be a continued endeavor of sustainable solutions to address racial inequity and exclusion.
As this journey begins, we in Global Affairs are recommitting ourselves to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in international education and cultural exchange. We commit to listening, unlearning biases and having honest conversations about deeply embedded histories of exclusion. We commit to providing education abroad opportunities that support the success of Black students, students of color and other marginalized groups. And we commit to ensuring international students of color, who come from all over the world to study at Nebraska, find a welcoming environment that is supportive, safe and inclusive for them.
At this moment, our mission is more important than ever. We truly believe in the powerful impact of a global education that is needed to prepare our students as inclusive future leaders. We believe in the transformative power of education and of connecting people across cultures, languages, and yes, skin color, too. As Chancellor Green noted, racism is wrong in any form and has no place in our institution. Global Affairs is ready to play an active role in this journey by continuing our work in intercultural understanding and creating a community that reflects our core value of diversity of ideas and people.
Sincerely,
Josh Davis
Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs
Maegan Stevens-Liska
Director, Office of Global Strategies
Dave Long
Director, Global Safety & Security
Karen Cagley
Director, International Student & Scholar Office
Rebecca Baskerville
Director, Education Abroad Office
Chris Dunsmore
Director, Programs in English as a Second Language