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As you may be aware, Northwestern's Evanston campus has been the site of two very troubling incidents during the past two days. On February 11, racial and sexual slurs were written on the doors of several rooms in Ayers College of Commerce and Industry. On February 12, a swastika was drawn on a door to a floor in McCulloch Residence Hall.
These actions have hurt members of the Northwestern University community who are understandably upset. I would like to assure them, and all other concerned members of the community, that actions such as these are not acceptable by any standards and will not be tolerated at Northwestern. I condemn these acts as strongly as I can. University Police and Student Affairs are investigating these incidents; anyone who has information about these incidents should contact University Police or William Banis, Vice President for Student Affairs. In addition, staff from the offices of University Residential Life, African-American Student Affairs and the Multicultural Center will be meeting with students in regard to these incidents to provide all necessary support.
As an institution, Northwestern values and promotes a culturally and socially diverse living and learning environment that supports all members of our community. I also personally believe in this very strongly. Diversity is an important component in the education of our students. As we prepare students to assume leadership positions in our multicultural society, it is essential that they have the opportunity to interact with students whose backgrounds and perspectives differ from their own. From such interaction comes a broadening of understanding that will enable our graduates to function effectively in society. Incidents such as these may be setbacks in Northwestern's efforts to promote such understanding, but they do not alter our determination to do so.
Henry S. Bienen
President
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