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Opinions: Critics got Joker wrong.
Sports: Men's soccer clinches playoff berth.
AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY. SERVING MACOMB SINCE 1905.
WesternCourier.com
Monday, October 28, 2019 - Vol. 120 Issue 29
@WesternCourier
Interim President Martin Abraham sends a Call to Action Dear University Community, In the past several months as I've made my way across campus and the community, I've had the opportunity to visit with students, faculty, staff and community members, both individually and in group settings. Most recently, I met with a group of Black student leaders in an open forum to hear more of their concerns, issues and challenges. It's certainly not a secret that our University and our local community have faced, and are facing, challenges and we have students, faculty, staff and community members who do not feel welcome. This must change, and I ask each of you to be part of the solution. I know many faculty and staff care deeply about the success of our students and have worked hard over the years to make sure our diverse populations are welcome on campus and in our community. To these individuals, I say thank you. Each of us has the ability to be a change agent for the better, to set the right tone and the right direction. To educate individuals and raise awareness. To speak out to right the wrongs. As a community, we must be intentional in our choices, our actions, our words and our behaviors. We must embrace the diversity and the richness that diversity brings to our University and our community. We have engaged in a series of dialogues and forums to listen, to hear the issues our University and local communities are experiencing, and the concerns they have about being here. While it is crucial to hear about these issues, we will ultimately be judged by the actions we take to make things better. Included in this letter are many of the issues and concerns our students have raised and actions taken to date. This is just the beginning. A common question we have received pertains to the lack of diversity among our faculty and staff as many of our Afri-
can American faculty and staff have left the institution. These are essential positions that are critical for our students' success. We are, and will continue, to conduct nationwide searches to fill faculty positions. We have taken steps within the search process to ensure a diverse applicant pool. We are advertising the positions with well-known diversity-related websites, journals and job boards. I also ask that our students, faculty and staff encourage qualified individuals they may know to apply for the positions available at Western. At last month's Town & Gown event, I provided remarks to the over 200 in attendance. I told the crowd present that this community has been incredibly welcoming to my wife, Nancy, and me. I requested that this community be as welcoming to ALL of our students, our faculty, our staff and our visitors as it has been to us. I also shared what I've heard from our students, and continue to hear, is heartbreaking. Many of our students and members of our community feel disenfranchised and marginalized. Some feel unwelcome, confused, scared. Something must change, and that change starts with the members of our University and local communities. For our University to succeed and ensure a diverse student body and employee base, our students, faculty, staff and visitors must know they are welcome as part of the community. All of us - both at the University and within our community - must put the same energy, compassion and intention into welcoming others. The forums, the dialogues, the conversations - they are the start, but they are certainly not the finish. It's going to take more than talking. It's going to take action, and not just action now, but continued action to ensure that this University and this community become - and remain a diverse and welcoming place for all.
WIU.EDU
Interim President Martin Abraham.
We must work every single day to ensure that Western Illinois University and Macomb are known for being wonderful places for all to learn, to work and to live, and that we value and support a diverse community. As the interim president of Western, I expect nothing less. Sincerely, Martin Abraham
Edge: Anticipation continues to grow for Aquaman sequel.