UO President Michael Schill and Provost Patrick Phillips sent the following message to the campus community March 17:

Dear University of Oregon Community,

Along with all members of our community, we are horrified by the recent murders and acts of violence and discrimination in our nation against people of Asian and Asian-American descent. The frequency of bias and hateful acts directed at Asian, Desi, and Pacific Islander communities has increased over the last year, fueled by xenophobic rhetoric and bias during the pandemic.

We condemn these acts and mourn those lost.

We call on the entire University of Oregon community to stand up against all forms of hate, bias, and bigotry. These actions and expressions are simply unacceptable. We continue to commit ourselves to working toward actions that help us realize a fully inclusive university.

Let us join together in solidarity and support for the Asian and Asian-American members of our community.

These recent attacks are the latest forms of bias rooted in hate against people based on their race, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation.

They create fear, anxiety, and anger for so many in our community. For students, faculty, and staff members from the UO community who may feel unease or anxiety as a result of these and other incidents, we hope you will seek support through Counseling Services for students or the UO’s Employee Assistance Program for faculty and staff.

If you experience or become aware of a threat or incident of bias, please immediately report your concern by calling 911 in an emergency or by using our Report a Concern web form through the Dean of Students or reporting the incident to the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance using this web form.

We must stand up to hate and stand together to fight injustice.

Sincerely,

Michael H. Schill
President and Professor of Law

Patrick Phillips
Provost and Senior Vice President