July 28, 2016
Dear Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak,
With the pending visit of the Republican nominee for President, Donald J. Trump, to the University of Colorado Colorado Springs on Friday July 29, 2016, the signers of this letter, as faculty of UCCS, feel the need to offer a public response to Mr. Trump’s presence on our campus. This letter does not claim to represent all UCCS faculty or the university, only the individuals who have endorsed its message.
To be clear, UCCS is a public university and, as such, it is an institution that reveres free speech. As university faculty, we not only recognize Mr. Trump’s legal right to speak on our campus, but also embrace the productive dialogue about U.S. and global politics that the event will no doubt inspire. But we as faculty similarly have the right and obligation to express our own professional consciences, especially as it pertains to events occurring at our place of work.
While we recognize Mr. Trump’s right to speak at UCCS and at other public venues, we strongly condemn the content and tone of much of the rhetoric that Mr. Trump has used since announcing his bid for Presidency.
Our issues with Mr. Trump are twofold. First, Mr. Trump has repeatedly made public statements that are either not supported by any reasonable amount of empirical evidence or are reliant on selective samples. For instance, Mr. Trump has repeatedly stated that crime in the United States is rising and that we live in a society that is growing more dangerous. A preponderance of evidence at the nationwide level contradicts that claim; but more importantly, Trump then uses such specious reasoning to fuel fear of certain minority groups.
Second, Mr. Trump’s unsubstantiated statements have been used to impugn entire groups of people, including Muslims, Mexicans, women, and disabled people. We contend that his divisive language prevents the kind of civil discourse that is the life blood of a democratic society. Mr. Trump’s claim that the majority of immigrants from Mexico are criminals, including murderers and rapists, is contradicted by documented evidence. Similarly, Mr. Trump’s call for the use of torture would contravene the United Nations Convention against Torture.
Likewise, UCCS’ stance on diversity and inclusiveness states that we “must be inclusive of everyone” in order to combat “legacies of advantage and disadvantage,” which accords with Article 10 of the University of Colorado’s nondiscrimination policy. We honor the spirit of former CU president George Norlin, who took a courageous stand against racial and religious discrimination based on ideals that our university continues to uphold.
We censure any statement made by Mr. Trump (or any other person) that can be classified in these two ways. As faculty of a university that prides itself on the encouragement of free speech and the productive discourse that can follow, we reject the reckless use of language that supports silencing anyone on our campus—even as we respect the right to speak such words.
Signed,
Jeffrey Scholes, Philosophy Jeffrey Montez de Oca, Sociology
Minnette Church, Anthropology
Tom Huber, Geography
Katherine Mack, English
Paul Harvey, History
Carole Huber, Geography
Rex Welshon, Philosophy
Edin Mujkic, School of Public Affairs
Christopher Bell, Communication
Abby Ferber, Sociology and WEST
Steve Carter, English
Elizabeth Daniels, Psychology
George Cheney, Communication
Allison Monterrosa, Sociology
Patty Witkowsky, Leadership, Research, & Foundations
Nick Lee, Sociology
Crystal Baye Herald, English
Spencer Harris, College of Business
Kristin Samuelson, Psychology
Greg Oman, Mathematics
Brandon Gavett, Psychology
Kimberly Holcomb, WEST
Chlesea Lawson, English
Leal Lauderbaugh, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Daphne Greenwood, Economics
Karen Livesey, Physics
Lissanna Follari, Teaching and Learning
John Adams, Mechanical Engineering
Carlos a. Paz de Araujo, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Lew Pinson, Computer Science – retired
April Lanotte, UCCSTeach
Michael Calvisi, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Dustin Bluhm, Management; College of Business
Carole Woodall, History and WEST
Kotaro Shoji, Trauma, Health, & Hazards Center
Jarred Bultema, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Jane Rigler, VAPA-Music
Liesl H. Eberhardt, Communication
Eric Eberhardt, Pre-Collegiate, Communication, Extended Studies
Alexander Soifer, Inter-Departmental Studies
Evan Engle, Education
Leah Davis Witherow, History
Lori Guasta, Sociology
Brandon Vogt, Geography
Abram Minzer, Music
Nina Ellis Frischmann, History
Zachary Mesyan, Mathematics
Kimbra Smith, Anthropology
Lilika A. Belet, Sociology
Haleh Abghari, VAPA
Robert Larkin, Geography and Environmental Studies
Margaret M. Beranek, College of Business
Jamie May, English
Linda K. Watts, Anthropology
Karenleigh A. Overmann, Center for Cognitive Archaeology
Lauren M. Kinnee, VAPA
Julaine Field, Counseling and Human Services
Michael Kisley, Psychology
Stephany Rose, Women’s Ethnic Studies
Rhonda Williams, Counseling and Human Services
Suzanne P. MacAulay, VAPA
Irina Kopteva, GES
Sarah Treschl, English
Margie Oldham, National Student Exchange Program
Suzanne Cook, Languages and Cultures
Sherry Marshall, Sociology
Michaela Steen, Visual and Performing Arts
Valerie Sievers, Nursing
Cerian Gibbes, Geography
Leslie Rapparlie, English
Lesley Ginsberg, English
Sudhanshu Kumar Semwal, Computer Science
Mary Margaret Alvarado, English
Chris Bairn, History
Anthony Cordova, MOSAIC
Mary France, Languages & Cultures
Joan Ray, Professor Emerita, English,
Stephanie Spratt, Kraemer Family Library
Eileen Skahill, Sociology and Humanities
Don Klingner, School of Public Affairs
Heather Albanesi, Sociology
Elizabeth Cutter, Teaching & Learning
Jefferson M. Spicher, Nursing
Fred Lege, Student Health Center
Christine L. Robinson, English
James Parmenter, Mathematics
Janice Gould, Women’s & Ethnic Studies
Lisa Durrenberger, Biology
Vanessa Howell, Nursing
Ken Pellow, English
Majid M.J. Arjomandi, Communication
Jared Benson, History and Humanities
Robert Carlson, Mathematics
James Daly, Professor Emeritus Mathematics
Roger L. Martinez, History
Radu Cascaval, Mathematics
David Havlick, Geography and Environmental Studies
Maggie Gaddis, Biology
Manuel Gunther, Computer Science
Leilani Feliciano, PhD, Psychology,
Edie Greene, Psychology
Barbara Prinari, Mathematics
Christina Jimenez, History
Glen Whitehead, VAPA
Mary Jane Sullivan, PhD, Visual and Performing Arts,
Anna Kosloski, School of Public Affairs
Christopher V. Hill, History
Benjamin Syn, English
Stephanie Ryon, School of Public Affairs
Pauline Foss, Visual and Performing Arts
Nanna L. Meyer, Nursing
Leslie Grant, Teaching & Learning
Amy Haines, History
Thanks to all the signers of this letter, I support all of the thoughts expressed in this letter.
My own thoughts are that Donald Trump is a dangerous threat to me, my family, my university, my country and Our Mother Earth
I pray for Donald and his family, he most be a very disturbed person.
In Communication, Public Speaking and Rhetoric, words are like swords and should be used very carefully in Public Service professions. Thank you to the professors at our University who signed this and teach how to have a better civil discourse!
Thank you faculty and staff. As the father of two incoming freshmen students, I am thankful for your response and views on this visit. It adds peace of mind and confidence for us back in the University that we have chosen to attend. We hope that today’s events go forward in peace and respect for each other in the world.
We appreciate you putting this forward and thankful for your opinions.
Sincerely,
Eric Gonzales
Father of two new UCCS Students this fall
Thank you for not just ignoring him. He is,in my opinion, more dangerous than the groups towards which he is seeking to inspire fear.
Half of Trump Supporters are racists
The other half……just plain ignorants
Trump is the most dangerous and he will bring us to a War
Thank you – we hope powerful people are listening.
We are grateful for your work.
I had the privilege of living in Colorado springs for a short time so the article caught my eye when a friend posted this article on facebook. I’d like to thank all of the faculty for having the courage to address this issue in such an elegant way. Thank you again for your magnificent words.
Well said , this election is crucial, to protect all the values that represent our country. It supersedes allegiance to any one party. We must elect Hiliary Clinton.
Name calling is extremely unprofessional. Referring a colleague as racist and/or ignorant is uncalled for.
We do not all agree, and that is our right.
Respect is asked of all who comment.
As a father of an incoming freshman I was very satisfied with the message from Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak regarding the use of the college facilities. The unfounded notion that a “Trump Event” constitutes an “issue” for faculty, students or staff is absurd. Universities should not ever limit the free expression of ideals and should encourage differing points of view while promoting understanding of various viewpoints that molded classical western civilization. Any utopian desires, platitudes or political opinions of faculty associated with this election cycle is irrelevant to the mission of the University and does not serve the interest of the student body and community. Whether the faculty signers of the letter to the chancellor are leftist, passively concerned or just supportive is not important so long as our sons and daughters are taught without bias to learn their respective subjects while seeing the world as it is and not how many would like to see it. We send our children to college with a reasonable expectation that they receive an education with open minds in the classical liberal arts tradition without any extreme political indoctrination or suppression of free expression.
It’s so comforting to see that so many people in the field of education take what is and has been happening in this country, throughout their adult lives, so serious as to step forwards and challenge the unethical behavior of … our corrupt government. If you need citations go read the news (what’s reported about it anyways). I think it’s delusional.
Am I wrong here?
Oh, I guess I should be realistic here and expect my voice to be silenced by those who know better. I was just seeking affirmation. Thank you moderator.
[posted in response to previous post.]
Thank you to the signers of this letter. After seeing this letter we are considering UCCS for our daughter for next year. If only more of us would speak out.
Would we be better off as a country if we had elected a Democrat and permitted the expansion of the vast corruption that has been exposed? While we may not like how Trump says things we all would benefit if we listens to what he says.