University-Wide Imperative for a More Just Society
Commencement is always cause for great celebration at UB. Every year, amid the pomp and circumstance, unfettered joy takes over campus as we recognize the milestone with graduates and their loved ones.
Last spring, however, a sense of solemnity settled over this otherwise exuberant tradition: In the midst of graduation season, we learned that 10 people—including alumna Pearl Young, ’81—had been killed in a racist massacre at a grocery store in Buffalo.
As we gathered to honor the Class of 2022, the dichotomy of emotions was palpable. Before asking our graduates to join me in a moment of silence, I reminded them of their responsibility, and their power, to combat hate.
From UB’s founding, contributing to the greater good has been central to our mission. Given the devastating consequences of festering intolerance, prejudice and racism, it is imperative that we continue translating our values into action.
In a reaffirmation of these values, our faculty, students and staff work toward a more just and equitable academic environment every day. To be clear, we are not merely applying an “inclusive sheen” to UB. This university-wide imperative is designed to dismantle structural barriers to equity. It impacts all of our practices—from recruitment to pedagogy to our built environment.
Of course, transformative change does not happen overnight. It takes time, resources and innovation. That said, we are taking measurable steps to advance our mission of equity and inclusion. Allow me to share a few examples.
As part of our intentional focus on diversifying our scholarly community, at my designation, a $10 million philanthropic gift is being used to create scholarships and endowed positions for faculty and students of color. Our popular “future faculty week” for promising doctoral scholars from underrepresented minority backgrounds serves as a recruitment model for other institutions—and only in this program’s second year! I am equally proud that we host the largest, most comprehensive diversity-themed visiting faculty cohort in the United States.
In tandem, we are building on our recent success in improving the recruitment, enrollment and graduation rates of underrepresented minority and first-generation college students. Recent approaches, including broader applications of holistic admissions, enhanced mentoring and increased student diversity initiatives, boost our efforts. So, too, do longstanding federal programs like the McNair Scholars Program, through which scores of undergraduates from underrepresented backgrounds have pursued their PhD.
While we have no illusion that we can remedy the chronic ill of systemic inequality, we believe that we can thoughtfully progress toward a more just society. In this regard, the efforts of our alumni cannot be overstated. Pearl Young used her degree for its highest purpose—to serve others. A nontraditional student, she attended UB in her 30s, while raising three children. Over the years, she worked with the elderly, volunteered at election polls, ran a food pantry and, at the time of her death at 77, was substitute teaching in Buffalo public schools.
As we continue to embrace a spirit of social justice with everything we do, her legacy looms large.