July 28, 2016<\/p>\n
Dear Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak,<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
While we recognize Mr. Trump\u2019s 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Second, Mr. Trump\u2019s 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\u2019s claim that the majority of immigrants from Mexico are criminals, including murderers and rapists, is contradicted by documented evidence. Similarly, Mr. Trump\u2019s call for the use of torture would contravene the United Nations Convention against Torture.<\/p>\n Likewise, UCCS\u2019 stance on diversity and inclusiveness states that we \u201cmust be inclusive of everyone\u201d in order to combat \u201clegacies of advantage and disadvantage,\u201d which accords with Article 10 of the University of Colorado\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2014even as we respect the right to speak such words.<\/p>\n Signed,<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Jeffrey Scholes, Philosophy\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jeffrey Montez de Oca, Sociology<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Minnette Church, Anthropology<\/p>\n Tom Huber, Geography<\/p>\n Katherine Mack, English<\/p>\n Paul Harvey, History<\/p>\n Carole Huber, Geography<\/p>\n Rex Welshon, Philosophy<\/p>\n Edin Mujkic, School of Public Affairs<\/p>\n Christopher Bell, Communication<\/p>\n Abby Ferber, Sociology and WEST<\/p>\n Steve Carter, English<\/p>\n Elizabeth Daniels, Psychology<\/p>\n George Cheney, Communication<\/p>\n Allison Monterrosa, Sociology<\/p>\n Patty Witkowsky, Leadership, Research, & Foundations<\/p>\n Nick Lee, Sociology<\/p>\n Crystal Baye Herald, English<\/p>\n Spencer Harris, College of Business<\/p>\n Kristin Samuelson, Psychology<\/p>\n Greg Oman, Mathematics<\/p>\n Brandon Gavett, Psychology<\/p>\n Kimberly Holcomb, WEST<\/p>\n Chlesea Lawson, English<\/p>\n Leal Lauderbaugh, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering<\/p>\n Daphne Greenwood, Economics<\/p>\n Karen Livesey, Physics<\/p>\n Lissanna Follari, Teaching and Learning<\/p>\n John Adams, Mechanical Engineering<\/p>\n Carlos a. Paz de Araujo, Electrical and Computer Engineering<\/p>\n Lew Pinson, Computer Science – retired<\/p>\n April Lanotte, UCCSTeach<\/p>\n Michael Calvisi, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering<\/p>\n Dustin Bluhm, Management; College of Business<\/p>\n Carole Woodall, History and WEST<\/p>\n Kotaro Shoji, Trauma, Health, & Hazards Center<\/p>\n Jarred Bultema, Chemistry and Biochemistry<\/p>\n Jane Rigler, VAPA-Music<\/p>\n Liesl H. Eberhardt, Communication<\/p>\n Eric Eberhardt, Pre-Collegiate, Communication, Extended Studies<\/p>\n Alexander Soifer, Inter-Departmental Studies<\/p>\n Evan Engle, Education<\/p>\n Leah Davis Witherow, History<\/p>\n Lori Guasta, Sociology<\/p>\n Brandon Vogt, Geography<\/p>\n Abram Minzer, Music<\/p>\n Nina Ellis Frischmann, History<\/p>\n Zachary Mesyan, Mathematics<\/p>\n Kimbra Smith, Anthropology<\/p>\n Lilika A. Belet, Sociology<\/p>\n Haleh Abghari, VAPA<\/p>\n Robert Larkin, Geography and Environmental Studies<\/p>\n Margaret M. Beranek, College of Business<\/p>\n Jamie May, English<\/p>\n Linda K. Watts, Anthropology<\/p>\n Karenleigh A. Overmann, Center for Cognitive Archaeology<\/p>\n Lauren M. Kinnee, VAPA<\/p>\n Julaine Field, Counseling and Human Services<\/p>\n Michael Kisley, Psychology<\/p>\n Stephany Rose, Women’s Ethnic Studies<\/p>\n Rhonda Williams, Counseling and Human Services<\/p>\n Suzanne P. MacAulay, VAPA<\/p>\n Irina Kopteva, GES<\/p>\n Sarah Treschl, English<\/p>\n Margie Oldham, National Student Exchange Program<\/p>\n Suzanne Cook, Languages and Cultures<\/p>\n Sherry Marshall, Sociology<\/p>\n Michaela Steen, Visual and Performing Arts<\/p>\n Valerie Sievers, Nursing<\/p>\n Cerian Gibbes, Geography<\/p>\n Leslie Rapparlie, English<\/p>\n Lesley Ginsberg, English<\/p>\n Sudhanshu Kumar Semwal, Computer Science<\/p>\n Mary Margaret Alvarado, English<\/p>\n Chris Bairn, History<\/p>\n Anthony Cordova, MOSAIC<\/p>\n Mary France, Languages & Cultures<\/p>\n Joan Ray, Professor Emerita, English,<\/p>\n Stephanie Spratt, Kraemer Family Library<\/p>\n Eileen Skahill, Sociology and Humanities<\/p>\n Don Klingner, School of Public Affairs<\/p>\n Heather Albanesi, Sociology<\/p>\n Elizabeth Cutter, Teaching & Learning<\/p>\n Jefferson M. Spicher, Nursing<\/p>\n Fred Lege, Student Health Center<\/p>\n Christine L. Robinson, English<\/p>\n James Parmenter, Mathematics<\/p>\n Janice Gould, Women’s & Ethnic Studies<\/p>\n Lisa Durrenberger, Biology<\/p>\n Vanessa Howell, Nursing<\/p>\n Ken Pellow, English<\/p>\n Majid M.J. Arjomandi, Communication<\/p>\n Jared Benson, History and Humanities<\/p>\n Robert Carlson, Mathematics<\/p>\n James Daly, Professor Emeritus Mathematics<\/p>\n Roger L. Martinez, History<\/p>\n Radu Cascaval, Mathematics<\/p>\n David Havlick, Geography and Environmental Studies<\/p>\n Maggie Gaddis, Biology<\/p>\n Manuel Gunther, Computer Science<\/p>\n Leilani Feliciano, PhD, Psychology,<\/p>\n Edie Greene, Psychology<\/p>\n Barbara Prinari, Mathematics<\/p>\n Christina Jimenez, History<\/p>\n Glen Whitehead, VAPA<\/p>\n Mary Jane Sullivan, PhD, Visual and Performing Arts,<\/p>\n Anna Kosloski, School of Public Affairs<\/p>\n Christopher V. Hill, History<\/p>\n Benjamin Syn, English<\/p>\n Stephanie Ryon, School of Public Affairs<\/p>\n Pauline Foss, Visual and Performing Arts<\/p>\n Nanna L. Meyer, Nursing<\/p>\n Leslie Grant, Teaching & Learning<\/p>\n Amy Haines, History<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"