UNC Charlotte's Niner Nation Remembrance Commission Final Report

N I N E R N AT I O N

REMEMBRANCE

COMMISSION

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Transmittal Letter............................................... 1 Commission Members...................................... 2 Commission’s Work Process............................. 3 Engagement Processes..................................... 4 Recommendations: Permanent Memorial.................................... 5 Remembrance............................................... 7 Future Use of Kennedy 236.......................... 8 Parting Thoughts............................................... 9 Appendix: Commission Charge.................................... 10 Guiding Principles....................................... 11

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December 11, 2019 Dr. Philip L. Dubois, Chancellor UNC Charlotte 9201 University City Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28223 Dear Chancellor Dubois: On behalf of the Niner Nation Remembrance Commission (“Commission”), I am pleased to submit for your consideration the final report of the Commission’s work, including recommendations for a permanent memorial, remembrance activities, and the future use of Kennedy 236.

The events of April 30, 2019, were tragic and devastating to Niner Nation, as well as the greater Charlotte community. I speak for every member when I say that it has been an honor and privilege to serve on the Commission and contribute to the campus’ recovery and healing. The Commission understood that the tragic shooting and its aftermath had and would continue to evoke strong emotions and that its members would need to draw on empathy, compassion, and sensitivity in its engagement and decision-making processes.

This sentiment is perhaps best captured by Ashley Maynor, a librarian and filmmaker at Virginia Tech, who wrote, “When distilled to its essence, what tragedy demands of us should, in fact, be the most natural to summon: it demands our humanity. Tragedy simply asks that we reach into the depths of our most human of hearts, find the light, and beam it back out.” In undertaking its important charge, the Commission strove to find the Niner light, and through our recommendations beam it out for Niner Nation, the greater Charlotte community, and the world to see.

The Commission held its first working meeting on August 26, 2019. With the assistance of a facilitator, the Commission members took important first steps of getting to know one another and reflecting on how each of us connected to the events of April 30.

This laid the groundwork for the Commission working together cohesively. The Commission then established a set of principles to guide its work as well as the selection of its final recommendations. The Commission also agreed on a work plan, which included the formation of three committees focused on formulating the recommendations for the memorial, remembrance, and future use of Kennedy 236, as well as a committee focused on implementing a robust engagement process.

As its starting point, the Commission embarked on a comprehensive, six-week engagement process that included meetings with the Howell and Parlier families, the injured students, and the students who were in the classroom but who were not physically injured, as well as four campus-wide listening sessions for students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members. The Commission also administered an online survey that garnered a remarkable response rate with more than 4,500 individuals participating and providing feedback. After receiving the poignant feedback from the families, impacted students, and broader campus community, the Memorial, Remembrance, and Kennedy 236 Committees worked diligently to formulate the recommendations for the Commission to consider and finalize.

The Commission thanks you for entrusting us with this important work. Your leadership set the tone for our deliberations. At the vigil on May 1, when speaking of Reed and Riley you observed, “We can’t bring them back. But with your help, we will find a way to remember their presence as 49ers.” During those early hours and days after the shooting, you gave clear direction to your staff and the campus community: “The shooting should not be what defines UNC Charlotte—our response to the crisis should be what defines us.” It is the Commission’s great hope that the proposed recommendations bring comfort to the families of Reed and Riley, advance recovery and healing for those who experienced trauma on April 30, and reaffirm the enduring spirit of Niner Nation.

Again, it was an honor and privilege to serve the University in this capacity. As we submit the recommendations to you for your consideration, please know that we remain available to assist in any way needed.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Commission, Emily Zimmern Chair

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NINER NATION REMEMBRANCE COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP Chancellor Dubois sought to appoint a Commission composed of individuals from within the UNC Charlotte community and the greater Charlotte area who, as a group, would offer diversity of thought as well as relevant professional expertise and personal experience. The following individuals volunteered to serve on the Commission: Emily Zimmern, former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Levine Museum of the New South, served as chair of the Niner Nation Remembrance Commission.

Kim Bradley, UNC Charlotte Chief of Staff to Chancellor Philip L. Dubois.

Lawrence Calhoun, Professor Emeritus of Psychological Science at UNC Charlotte, an internationally recognized expert on posttraumatic growth.

Michael Marsicano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Foundation For The Carolinas and former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Arts & Science Council.

Chandler Crean, 2019-2020 President of the Student Government Association at UNC Charlotte.

Tim McCleary, Founder and Managing Director of The Involvement Practice. He moved to Charlotte from Newtown, Connecticut, the site of the 2012 tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Jason Dominiczak, UNC Charlotte staff member, who was one of the first responders at the 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech as the captain of the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad.

Tonderai Mushipe, second-year doctoral student in the Geography and Earth Science program and the current President of UNC Charlotte’s Graduate & Professional Student Government.

Carla Hanzal, Vice President of Public Art for the Charlotte Arts & Science Council and former Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Mint Museum of Charlotte.

Manuel A. Pérez-Quiñones, Professor of Software and Information Systems at UNC Charlotte. He was a faculty member at Virginia Tech during the time of the 2007 shootings.

Katie Howell, UNC Charlotte University Archivist, who is responsible for collecting, preserving, and sharing the historical records of the University.

David Reed, uncle of Reed Parlier, who is a 1983 graduate of the Belk College of Business at UNC Charlotte and a certified public accountant with Bank of America.

Niayai Lavien, immediate past President (2018-2019) of the Student Government Association and a ’19 alumna.

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Emily Makas, Associate Professor of Architectural and Urban History at UNC Charlotte and interim Associate Director of the School of Architecture, a nationally recognized scholar of memorial architecture.

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COMMISSION’S WORK PROCESS On May 29, 2019, Chancellor Dubois convened the Niner Nation Remembrance Commission, giving it the charge to thoughtfully and compassionately lead a comprehensive process to determine how to best memorialize the students who were killed, how to best remember the tragedy that occurred on April 30, and to make a recommendation about the future utilization of Kennedy 236.

With six months to complete its work, the Commission intentionally went slowly in the beginning to lay the foundation so that it could move more rapidly at the end in order to meet a December deadline. Over the summer, members were asked to reflect on their connection to the events of April 30. The chair met with each member of the Commission to get to know them and learn of their expertise and interests. The Commission also took the summer months to research other sites that had experienced an active shooting, specifically looking at memorials and remembrance events, as well as the lessons learned from the engagement and decisionmaking processes that those sites had employed.

The Commission reconvened on August 26, 2019, for its first working meeting and spent a good portion of the meeting getting to know one another and learning how each member connected to the events of April 30 and what followed. The members acknowledged that the work of the Commission would be different from most assignments. The shooting and its aftermath evoked strong emotions and the Commission’s deliberations would call for compassion, empathy, and a willingness to engage emotionally as well as intellectually.

The Commission spent the remainder of the first meeting organizing its work and reviewing the research on what other sites had done after tragic shootings. The group recognized there was no best practice or blueprint to follow for this work.

In order to fulfill its charge and formulate decisions that would assist the campus in recovery, and advance individual and collective healing, the Remembrance Commission

understood that it would need to use a methodology that was best suited to UNC Charlotte and to making decisions that would best support the culture and spirit of Niner Nation.

The Commission then developed and finalized a work plan to guide its work. The members also established a set of principles to guide how it would work together, as well as establish criteria for the formulation of its recommendations.

The Commission created four committees to organize its work: Memorial, Remembrance, Future Utilization of Kennedy 236, and Engagement, the latter to coordinate the process for stakeholder feedback.

The Commission then spent the next six weeks gathering feedback—from the families, from students directly impacted, and from the broader University and Charlotte communities.

With this stakeholder feedback and the direction set by our guiding principles, the Commission then went through an iterative process. The committees presented their proposals; the full Commission gave its feedback; the committees then refined their proposals. The cycle was repeated three times to arrive at the Commission’s final recommendations contained in this report. The Commission was especially mindful of the needs of the students who were on campus on April 30. Accordingly, it tied much of its work to the first three anniversaries while those students are still enrolled as students.

The Commission’s work was supported by a number of individuals. The Commission would like to publicly acknowledge them for their contributions, which significantly strengthened the process. The Commission thanks: Anna Clark for providing administrative and logistical support throughout the process; Dr. Elise Demeter for designing and analyzing the online survey; Shari Dunn for providing administrative support and copy editing documents; Peter Franz for advising the memorial committee; Dean Christine Reed Davis for assisting with student interviews; Brenda Shue for coordinating and assisting with the families’ interviews; and, George Stock, who conducted research on other impacted sites.

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ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES Engagement Committee: Kim Bradley, Chair, Lawrence Calhoun, Chandler Crean, Tim McCleary, Tonderai Mushipe, Emily Zimmern (Ex Officio) The Commission carried out a robust engagement process, including individual meetings with those most impacted by the shooting, listening sessions for the broader campus and Charlotte communities, and an online survey to gather input and feedback to inform its work. The Commission extended meeting invitations to the Parlier and Howell families, the four injured students, and the students who were in the classroom but not physically injured. Commission members met with each of the families, two of the injured students, and six of the students who were in the classroom. The Commission also held four open listening sessions, two for students, faculty, and staff, and two for alumni and community members. Understanding that some individuals are hesitant to participate in public sessions, the Commission administered an online survey that was sent to all students, staff, faculty, and alumni. The survey was also posted on the Commission’s website to enable community members to access it and provide feedback. Lastly, the Commission encouraged individuals to submit feedback and questions via its dedicated email address. The online survey netted a phenomenal response with more than 4,500 respondents, demonstrating the significant impact that April 30 had and how it continues to resonate across the University and the larger community.

The feedback garnered from the survey, meetings, and listening sessions was remarkably consistent and the wishes of the Howell and Parlier families aligned with the responses from the broader campus community.

The Howells and Parliers shared with the Commission poignant insight into the lives and characters of these two young men and expressed what was important to them in remembering their

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sons. The families want their children remembered by name and remembered for what they were and could have become, not just for their tragic deaths. Despite being very different in their personalities and interests, the Commission discovered Reed and Riley shared much in common. Both grew up in the country surrounded by loving, supportive families. Both were the oldest child in their families. Both were caring and compassionate. They did not like people to make fun of or bully other people. They enjoyed people of all ages. They believed in and practiced helping others. After their deaths, both sets of parents learned how much their sons had done for others and what an impact they had.

Perhaps most pertinent for the Commission, both were coming into their own at UNC Charlotte. Both were embracing the excitement of learning at a new level in new areas of study. They were living the promise of what an education here offers. They were Niners.

Common themes for the memorial, future use of Kennedy 236, and remembrance emerged from the feedback from the families, students directly impacted, and respondents to the online survey. All expressed a desire for a permanent, physical memorial centrally located on campus. The consensus opinion from the survey was that the memorial should honor the students affected, and evoke feelings of unity, strength, and resilience. The consensus view among all groups was that Kennedy 236 not be used as a classroom and that it be renovated so that the space has a different look and feel. In terms of remembrance, the most often cited response was to hold an annual, on-campus event on or proximate to the anniversary date of the shooting.

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RECOMMENDATION FOR A PERMANENT MEMORIAL Memorial Committee Members: Emily Makas, Chair, Carla Hanzal, Michael Marsicano, Tim McCleary, Emily Zimmern, Ex Officio, Peter Franz, Staff Support The Commission recommends the creation of a significant, focal memorial and commemorative space in Belk Plaza, between the front of Kennedy and the recently completed ellipse and fountain.

Concept and Objectives for Memorial

• Remember Reed Parlier and Riley Howell by name.

• Acknowledge those wounded, both physically and psychologically.

• Evoke the unity, strength, and resilience of the UNC Charlotte community.

• Create a commemorative space that is interactive and/or occupiable.

• Combine landscape, architecture, and art to provide a place of pause in the center of campus.

• Be appropriate to scale of the site and existing landscaping, hardscaping, and architecture of the surrounding campus and integrate the memorial into Belk Plaza.

Budget The recommended budget for the memorial and commemorative space is $1 million, with the understanding that up to an additional $1 million will be required for the surrounding Belk Plaza. The Commission recommends the design and construction of the memorial and commemorative space and the plaza take place in parallel for cost and construction efficiency as well as to ensure an integrated and complementary design.

Selection Process Two-Stage Request for Proposal: A request for proposal (RFP) should be issued to solicit conceptual design proposals from artists and architects based on the site, budget, and criteria. The submissions should be reviewed by a design jury of experts and community leaders, to be appointed by the Chancellor, who will

select four proposals to shortlist and support through further development. The design jury will then recommend a final design to the Chancellor.

The call for RFPs should be open; however, invitations should be sent to selected artists and architects with demonstrated relevant experience and projects of interest. An open call allows for solicitation of the widest range of solutions without predetermining the outcome by limiting entrants; enables participation by UNC Charlotte students and faculty who might not otherwise be eligible; and, entices submissions from well-known artists and architects, providing an opportunity for a work of art on our campus with significance beyond our community.

Design Jury A design jury will be appointed which includes five to seven voting members, a non-voting chair, and two to four advisory members. The majority of the jury should be arts professionals, with members coming from the campus and wider community.

It is recommended that there be continuity in membership and guiding principles between the Remembrance Commission and the design jury.

Anniversaries of April 30 Shooting It is recommended that the first, second, and third anniversaries of the April 30, 2019 shooting should serve as touchstones in the overall memorial creation process in order to communicate progress with the community and involve them in the process.

Community Engagement Opportunities throughout the process should be provided for engagement with stakeholders, the campus community, and the art and architecture students and faculty. While recommendations and decision-making capacity should remain with the design jury and the University, general feedback on the design options should be solicited.

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Proposed Permanent Memorial Timeline Spring 2020

• Draft Request for Proposals • Fundraising • Appoint Selection Panel

April 30, 2020 • Announce Request for Conceptual Design Proposals at first anniversary

• Invite select artists/architects of interest to submit August 2020 • Conceptual design submissions due from artists/architects

• Design jury reviews and shortlists four conceptual proposals September 2020

• Shortlisted conceptual proposals announced

October 2020 • Shortlisted artists/architects invited to campus to tour and meet stakeholders and the community

• Shortlisted artists/architects paid to further develop designs March 2021 • Developed designs due from shortlisted artists/architects

• Shortlisted artists/architects visit campus to present developed designs to (1) UNC Charlotte community and stakeholders and (2) separately to School of Architecture and the Department of Art and Art History

• Four developed designs exhibited online and on campus

• General campus and public feedback solicited via survey or similar mechanism March 2021

• Design jury reviews and recommends to the Chancellor

April 30, 2021 • Final design announced and groundbreaking at second anniversary

• Selected artist/architect engages with families and key stakeholders April 30, 2022

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• Memorial unveiled and dedicated at third anniversary

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REMEMBRANCE RECOMMENDATIONS Remembrance Committee Members: Katie Howell, Chair, Chandler Crean, Emily Makas, David Reed, Emily Zimmern (Ex Officio) The Commission recommends that April 30 be remembered by instituting a number of remembrance activities and events, including the mounting of a series of exhibits, the creation of a Day of Remembrance, support for named scholarships, conducting oral histories, continued efforts to collect and preserve archival documents, and support for other organic remembrance efforts.

Context and Objectives for Recommendations • Recommendations are intended to reflect a thoughtful strategy for keeping the events of April 30, 2019, relevant and remembered, keeping Riley Howell and Reed Parlier and other students who were injured in our hearts and minds, and celebrating the cohesive reaction by the community that has made us stronger and more resilient.

• In recognition of the outpouring of support from the greater Charlotte community, all recommended remembrance events should be open and welcoming to the public. Communications strategies should include an invitation to the community beyond the campus.

Additional details of the recommendations are as follows:

Series of Exhibits The Commission recommends a series of exhibits be mounted as remembrance of the events of April 30:

• First, a smaller, temporary exhibit (2-3 cases) highlighting memorial items and other documentation collected and preserved

by University Archives, to be held in Atkins Library and coinciding with the first anniversary in April 2020. This exhibit would be mounted with existing Library funds and resources and would remain on display until the larger exhibit is installed in 2021.

• Second, a larger, curated exhibit to be held in conjunction with the second anniversary in 2021. The Commission recommends that this exhibit be held in the galleries in the Popp-Martin Student Union. Ideally, this exhibit would also include an interpretive element. This could be some kind of interactive feature or a call for interpretive artworks from the campus and Charlotte community. This exhibit would also be temporary and would require an additional budget of $20,000-25,000.

• Third, the exhibit will have an online component that will be hosted on the Atkins Special Collections website permanently. This exhibit would be mounted with existing Library funds and resources.

• Temporary exhibits could continue to be mounted at key anniversaries in the future.

• All exhibits would feature oral histories and archival documentation collected and preserved by University Archives (see below).

Day of Remembrance The Commission agrees that it is important to acknowledge and remember Reed Parlier, Riley Howell and all those directly and indirectly affected by the events of April 30 and to celebrate Niner spirit and resilience. Though first anniversary events are already in planning, the Commission was charged with making additional recommendations for ongoing remembrance.

Therefore, the Commission proposes continuing the practice of a day of remembrance for at least the next three years when students who were on campus on April 30, 2019 will still be enrolled. Thereafter, a process would be in place to reevaluate what is most appropriate for the campus community in the following years. This day may be held on April 30 or a floating date (i.e. last Tuesday of April), and the specific events could be flexible to accommodate the changing needs of the campus community over time. One suggestion is that this proposed day could feature planned activities that center on wellness, self-care, and/or community service, as well as remembrance activities for the lives lost that day.

The Commission proposes that the University build upon the annual UNC Charlotte Memorial Service that is held in the spring semester to honor those students, faculty, and staff who have lost their lives in the previous year.

Named Scholarships The Commission supports the establishment of additional named scholarships in honor of Reed Parlier and Riley Howell.

Oral Histories and Archival Documentation The Commission recommends conducting a series of oral history interviews to document this event through the eyes of our campus and community members. The Commission also recommends continued efforts to collect and preserve the records and memorabilia associated with April 30 and campus recovery efforts.

Other Remembrances The Commission recommends that the University remain supportive of other future initiatives that may arise on campus or in the greater Charlotte community to honor Reed Parlier, Riley Howell, and others affected by this tragedy.

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FUTURE USE OF KENNEDY 236 RECOMMENDATIONS Future Use of Kennedy 236 Committee: Manuel A. Perez-Quinones, Chair, Jason Dominiczak, Naiyai Lavien, Emily Zimmern (Ex Officio) The Commission recommends that Kennedy 236, as well as adjoining Kennedy 234, not be used as classrooms; the space should be reconfigured and repurposed. The Commission further recommends that a contemplative space be created in the Kennedy building, and include a documentary plaque acknowledging the events of April 30, 2019.

Context and Objectives for the Future Use of Kennedy 236 Recommendations

• The recommendations are guided by the painful memory of the tragic events of that day, the historical significance that Kennedy has as the University’s first building, and the symbol of resilience that the use of this building will have going forward.

• Kennedy 234 is adjacent to Kennedy 236 and is currently offline for the same reasons as Kennedy 236. Any recommendations for and/or renovations to Kennedy 236 would most certainly affect Kennedy 234 since they share a wall.

• In addition to the online survey and listening sessions, feedback was obtained from the current occupants of the building.

Timeline

Spring 2020.........The University will manage the process for repurposing and reconfiguring Kennedy 236 and 234.

April 30, 2020.....Contemplative space and plaque to be completed and available to the public for the first anniversary. A possible location for the contemplative space is in the lobby area of the second floor, facing the Belk Plaza.

Additional details of the recommendations are as follows: Do not use Kennedy 234/236 as Classrooms

• It was clear from the online survey and from most of the feedback received that we should not use these spaces for classroom purposes again.

• There was some support among students that perhaps the University can revisit this decision in a few years, once the group of students that was on campus on April 30 has graduated.

However, some number of faculty/staff would still be here and they expressed hesitation to be required to work in that space.

• Other institutions that faced similar tragedies reclaimed the space by upgrading the technology in the classrooms and converted

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them into a technological classroom showcase. Unfortunately, Kennedy 236 was already the most technologically advanced classroom on our campus.

• There was some sentiment that it was unfortunate that we would lose the use of such a space. Members of the University community expect that the University will develop new classrooms that would replace these rooms in the future.

Reconfigure and Repurpose Kennedy 234/236

• The Commission received numerous suggestions for new uses of the space currently occupied by Kennedy 234/236. In addition, some suggested that reclaiming the space in the center of the second floor might allow for more flexibility in redesigning the space.

• One comment received multiple times, which resonated with members of the Commission, was to renovate the space so that is has a different layout and flow of foot traffic. This is analogous to what was done at Virginia Tech with the redesign of the second floor of Norris Hall.

Create a Contemplative Space in Kennedy and Place a Documentary Plaque in that Space

• Create a place of peaceful contemplation and/or meditation in the building, possibly located near the entrance. This space is separate from the permanent memorial that is planned on campus.

• Place a documentary plaque in this space. The plaque should mention the tragic shooting of April 30, 2019, in which two students, Ellis Reed Parlier and Riley Howell, lost their lives, and four students, Rami Alramadhan, Sean DeHart, Emily Houpt, and Drew Pescaro, were injured. We should get permission from the other students enrolled in the class and if they approve, mention them too.

• Keep this space open to the public to celebrate the role that the Kennedy building had in the history of our campus and as a symbol of resilience after this tragic event.

• Reconfiguration decisions will be made by the University. The Commission defers to the University as to the final location/ design of the contemplative space, understanding that the contemplative space might move to different locations in the building over the years based on different uses of the Kennedy building, and that the decisions of the University might get revisited over time as the demand for space on campus fluctuates.

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PARTING THOUGHTS FROM THE COMMISSION Hail University!

To you we sing our praise.

May Charlotte’s light dispel the night, illumine all our days.

UNC Charlotte Alma Mater

April 30, 2019 was the darkest day in UNC Charlotte history.

With reverence, the Commission’s recommendations strive to honor those lost and to offer experiences and spaces that support remembrance, reflection, and healing.

Riley Howell and Reed Parlier embodied the best of Niner Nation. Their legacy will forever be a part of the University’s history. #Charlotte Strong, the beautiful coming together of community in the wake of the tragedy, will forever enliven the spirit of Niner Nation. Out of the darkness, Niner spirit endures.

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CHANCELLOR’S CHARGE TO THE COMMISSION The Niner Nation Remembrance Commission was created by Chancellor Philip L. Dubois in response to the tragic shooting of April 30, 2019, in which two students, Ellis Reed Parlier and Riley Howell, lost their lives, and four students, Rami Alramadhan, Sean DeHart, Emily Houpt, and Drew Pescaro, were injured. The Commission is charged with thoughtfully and compassionately leading a comprehensive process to determine how to best memorialize the victims and remember the tragedy that occurred on April 30, a day that will forever be part of UNC Charlotte’s history.

A sensitive and important issue to be discussed by the Commission is the future utilization of Kennedy 236, the site of the shooting.

Commission members should assume that it will not be possible to raze and replace the Kennedy Building itself.

To complete its charge, the Commission’s scope of work may include, but not be limited to, the following: • Soliciting input from and engaging with the Parlier and Howell families and the injured students and their families.

• Identifying multiple opportunities to allow students, faculty, staff, alumni, and interested individuals and organizations to submit feedback regarding a memorial(s), including online submission forms, survey instruments, public meetings or hearings, and meetings with specific individuals or groups.

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• Consulting with other institutions or communities that have experienced similar tragedies and that publicly memorialized those tragedies.

• Visiting the sites of memorials erected for similar tragedies.

• Should the Commission’s deliberations suggest the appropriateness of public art, an historical museum exhibit, or erection of some kind of physical structure, the Commission may wish to consult as appropriate with relevant professionals, including artists, museum curators, architects, etc.

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COMMISSION’S GUIDING PRINCIPLES • Be genuine and sincere, and assume good intentions.

Recommendations to the Chancellor will:

• Practice deep listening, open honest sharing, and heightened sensitivity to others.

• Be informed by input from the Howell and Parlier families, from those injured, from those present at the shooting, and from the larger University community.

• Be open to opinions, experiences, and perspectives different from your own; listen even when you disagree.

• Feel free to ask questions.

• Treat everyone as equal members, without regard to roles and status.

• Consider all voices, including listening sessions; look for common ground, provide feedback to stakeholders.

• Make every effort to be present for the full process.

• Help and support each other through the process, creating a safe space and engaging in self-care.

• Keep research separate from decision-making. Prior to getting to the recommendation portion of our work, make sure we have heard from the community and key stakeholders.

• Honor and remember Reed Parlier and Riley Howell.

• Reaffirm the strength and unity of Niner Nation in response to the tragedy.

• Offer opportunity for reflection, comfort, and healing as the University moves forward.

• Remain sensitive to the larger social issues while working within the parameters of the Commission’s charge.

• Provide meaning and value for both current and future members of Niner Nation—both for those who experienced the tragedy on April 30, 2019, and also for those who will join Niner Nation in the years to come.

• Engage in candid and robust dialogue during meetings; be unified and supportive of the consensus and direction of the Commission when the meeting ends; speak with one voice representing the work of the Commission.

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