PHILADELPHIA – April 17, 2021 – State Senator Art Haywood (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia) released the following statement on the April 15 Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Board of Governors meeting:
“From January to April 2021, African American college students, advocates, and I conducted meetings with Board of Governors Chair Cynthia Shapira, Chancellor Dan Greenstein, Vice Chancellor Dr. Denise Pearson, PASSHE leaders, and presidents of the following universities:
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- Bloomsburg University
- California University of Pennsylvania
- Cheyney University
- Clarion University
- East Stroudsburg University
- Edinboro University
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- Kutztown University
- Lock Haven University
- Mansfield University
- Millersville University
- Shippensburg University
- Slippery Rock University
- West Chester University
In these meetings, we outlined the ENOUGH initiative and demanded that the administration take the following six actions:
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- End Racial Harassment and Speech
- Nurture and Retain Students of Color
- Organize an Incident Reporting System
- Unveil Mandatory Diversity Training
- Generate More Mental Health Resources
- Hire More Faculty and Staff of Color
PASSHE leaders paid attention to our ENOUGH initiative and made substantial strides to address the decades of systemic racism within the State System.
Today, I am pleased that the PASSHE Board of Governors unanimously adopted a historic effort to include traditionally excluded Black and Brown students. The commitments to train faculty, staff, and students in diversity; add inclusive contributions of people into classes and curriculum; address racial harassment; and provide resources and accountability for this effort are encouraging.
The chancellor’s recognition of student leaders Brandon Teel and Zuri Redmond of East Stroudsburg University indicates that we are on the right path. Ending campus racism is part of the PASSHE redesign. The university students, advocates, and I will be engaged in the hard work to bring these plans to life. We thank everyone involved in this fight to end campus racism.”
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