The DEN accurately reported a troubling exchange that occurred this past week at the most recent Faculty Senate meeting. At this meeting an upper level administrator, in response to a question about the diversity of a committee that had been formed, joked that he might count himself as a diverse member if he had a deep enough tan. I was both shocked and dismayed, particularly in light of recent events at campuses throughout the country and in the Midwest, including the University of Missouri at Columbia and our neighbor up the interstate, UIUC.

As President of the UPI, EIU’s faculty union, I want to affirm our commitment and I fervently hope and believe EIU’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. We must recognize that what was said at the Faculty Senate meeting was at best horribly inappropriate and wrong. I am not writing this to vilify, but to use this as an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment that everyone on our campus community is deserving of respect.

Jonathan Blitz, professor of chemistry