Dear UAlbany Community,
I hope you had a restful Spring Break and are returning to campus recharged for the end of the semester.
Already, this spring semester has been marked by many triumphs. We have opened new facilities and centers, hosted fascinating speakers, gained accolades for our international work, won titles in athletics, conducted groundbreaking research, and built regional and international partnerships.
There is much more to come, click here for information about upcoming campus events.
These events and accomplishments are a part of what makes this university great. But it is the strong community we have built together that allows us to continue to reach new heights.
As members of this community, we each have an obligation to ensure that everyone – including those we may disagree with or not understand – is treated with dignity, respect, and empathy. Whether you are a student, faculty member, or staff member, this responsibility belongs to you.
I am proud of the way our community has risen to this challenge this year and grateful for the leadership of our Student Affairs and Diversity and Inclusion teams and the partnership from our campus religious and cultural leaders.
I want to unequivocally affirm my commitment – and UAlbany’s commitment – to ensuring every member of our community feels safe, welcome, and supported on our campus. There is no place in the University at Albany community for hate, bigotry, racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any other form of intolerance.
While we all enjoy freedom of expression, that freedom is not without responsibility. As members of this diverse community, we each have an obligation to exercise care for each other by voicing disagreement in a civil, respectful way and acknowledging the different backgrounds and unique perspectives we each bring to this campus.
On many college campuses around the country, programs and initiatives aimed at fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion are under attack. In some states, DEI programs have been outlawed and diversity offices shuttered.
At UAlbany, we are leaning into this work with even more fervor. As one of the nation’s most diverse public research universities, diversity is one of our greatest strengths. The diversity of backgrounds, opinions, and experiences you each bring to our community makes us great. Whether you are sharing a new perspective in a research lab, participating in a cultural celebration in our campus center, expanding your understanding in a classroom, or building relationships in a residence hall, you are contributing to the inclusive and welcoming culture that defines UAlbany.
This year, as we mark our 180th anniversary, I am reflecting on all we have achieved together and the incredible promise of what is yet to come. I look forward to continuing to unleash greatness with you.
Thank you for being a part of this Great Dane community.
Sincerely,
Havidán Rodríguez
President