Published June 1, 2022
Dear University Community:
Nearly two years ago, at a time of intense strife across our country, the President’s Advisory Council on Race was formed to ensure that UB is equitable in its policies, programs, activities and traditions. In March 2021, the council presented their recommendations to the university community. Subsequently, a committee was formed and charged with developing an implementation strategy for the recommendations, a timeline for this process and specific milestones for anticipated progress.
Today, we are pleased to share the Implementation Committee’s final report—a pathway to supporting and amplifying equity in our research, teaching, education and engagement with the broader region. As you will read, the committee’s recommendations are ambitious but realistic. Moreover, they have been developed with the intention of not only cultivating an inclusive environment at UB but sustaining it for generations to come.
The importance of our collective work cannot be overstated. Together, we have seen in our own Buffalo community how racial hatred and white supremacy have destroyed lives, created uncertainty, fear, anguish. At UB, we work to make meaningful change within the context of our mission. And that is what the committee has sought to do.
As we translate our values into actions, we will keep the university community updated on the overall progress we are making in implementing these recommendations. In the meantime, we would like to offer our sincerest thanks to the Implementation Steering Committee Co-Chairs, Suzanne Rosenblith and Mark Alnutt, and the more-than 150 faculty, students and staff who have brought their thoughtful approach and focused energy to this significant undertaking.
We would also like to extend our appreciation to every member of our university community for your work in this regard. Achieving social justice is a collective ideal that calls on each of us to uphold UB’s mission of excellence for the greater good. Every day, we see proof that you are doing just that.
Sincerely,
Satish K. Tripathi
President
A. Scott Weber
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs