Dear CCA Students, Faculty, and Staff:

As our community comes together (albeit virtually) to begin this unusual new semester, we would like to share an update on CCA’s progress toward several commitments we announced earlier this summer to advance anti-racism and address structural inequities within our college. This week, we launched a new webpage: Action + Accountability: CCA’s commitment to anti-racism, equity, and social justice. On this page, we will provide ongoing, public updates on CCA’s commitments, actions, and progress toward making our college a place that is welcoming, equitable, inclusive, and safe for everyone.

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder on May 25, our community, our nation, and the world demanded a reckoning with the systemic racism that devalues and disempowers so many members of our society. We made a commitment to you—our CCA community—to act decisively and with urgency to identify and implement steps that are definitive, measurable, and transparent to confront and change the systems that perpetuate racial injustice and inequity within our institution.  

Members of the CCA community submitted more than 125 recommendations, which the President’s Diversity Steering Committee (PDSG) compiled, categorized, and presented to us for review (you can see a compilation of those suggestions here, and can continue to submit recommendations). On June 30, we announced an initial list of commitments and immediate actions CCA was taking to address some of those recommendations. The new web page currently provides updates on those initial commitments, and will continue to evolve and grow as we announce and track additional initiatives and updates. 

We recognize this is a small step, and acknowledge that these actions must be the first of many. As our nation is this week confronted with yet another police shooting of a Black American, Jacob Blake, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, our resolve and commitment to uphold racial justice and equity at CCA, and in our larger society, are unwavering. We thank you for holding us accountable, and for working together to build a safe, inclusive, and actively anti-racist CCA.

Sincerely,

Stephen Beal, President

Tammy Rae Carland, Provost