Subject: [Staff-l] Message to the CCA Community
From: Presidents Office <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2016 12:38:57 -0800
List-Id: All-Staff mailing list <staff-l.lists.cca.edu>

Dear CCA community,

As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the events of
2016—many of which have been tragic and difficult to comprehend and accept.
At times like these I feel fortunate to be a part of a vital creative
community that espouses strong, positive values such as social justice,
community engagement, collaboration, compassion, and environmental
responsibility.

The recent election has thrown into sharp relief issues of diversity and
inclusion. Negative campaign rhetoric has been directed at many of those
among us—immigrants, people of color, Muslims and other religious groups,
women, the disabled, the LGBTQ community. This has caused much fear,
anxiety, and anger.

Many individuals are viewing this as an opportunity to take action and
speak out—to be seen and have their voices heard. Institutions are also
stepping in and taking a stand.

As an institution, CCA promotes diversity by improving access and
opportunities for underrepresented groups, and we see this endeavor as
vitally enriching for everyone. Regardless of outside forces, we will
continue to support and stand with our students, faculty, staff, and alumni
regardless of their race, ethnicity, religious creed, national origin, age,
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and ability.

Undocumented immigrants have been especially targeted by the incoming
administration. I recently joined more than 500 college presidents in
signing the Statement
<https://www.pomona.edu/news/2016/11/21-college-university-presidents-call-us-uphold-and-continue-daca>in
Support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program and
our Undocumented Immigrant Students. We believe that the DACA program
should be upheld, continued, and expanded. We need to remember that these
students have been raised and educated in the United States, represent what
is best about our country, and are essential to our future.

Other CCA leaders have reinforced the college’s values by speaking out on
the issues before us. Here are some examples:

   - The Architecture faculty collectively wrote a statement
   <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jxg2gZVBVKlJLV-G4bxYlIWglKeE9n0qyRXIn6loWP8/edit>
   after the election pledging to respect, defend, and celebrate the rights
   of all members of our diverse community. And Dean of Architecture
   Jonathan Massey recently wrote a statement for the Archinect
   <http://archinect.com/features/article/149980717/deans-list-special-how-architecture-school-leaders-are-responding-to-trump>
   blog responding to the Trump presidency in light of a controversial
   position taken by the president of the American Institute of Architects
   (AIA).

   -  Juvenal Acosta, dean of Humanities & Sciences, wrote a message
   <https://docs.google.com/a/cca.edu/document/d/10s7LNoD23-BtA7MdFFoo4C4A0rq9kzh4_g7duKbzmsw/edit?usp=sharing>
   to his faculty following the election supporting the efforts of the
   division to make CCA a more plural, democratic, and progressive college.

   - In response to the election and the new political situation, Dean of
   Fine Arts Jim Voorhies compiled a selection of book titles and
   annotations
   <http://bureauforopenculture.org/project/this-too-will-have-been/> about
   how art has persevered through time.

   - Kristian Simsarian, chair of our Interaction Design Program, wrote an
   inspirational message
   <https://docs.google.com/a/cca.edu/document/d/1kp4GU6QbMI0AMhZ8mi9HAk1Obu74OSD5v2a_uvd9P8k/edit?usp=sharing>
   to his faculty and students.

I am particularly pleased with the efforts of our Student Affairs staff,
led by George Sedano. The staff has focused on helping students cope with
and make sense of the events by providing safe spaces for them to gather
and share their thoughts outside the classroom; offering counseling and
other outreach; advising, mentoring, and empowering student organizations
and student leaders; and making a special effort to reach out to our
international students.

I hope that efforts such as these will inspire other members of our
community to contribute to ongoing conversations at the local, regional,
and national level. At CCA we strive to create an environment that welcomes
discussion, discourse, and debate—these are at the heart of our nation’s
ideals. And in doing so, we must support each other to foster the values of
our very special CCA community.

Sincerely,
Stephen Beal

---
Stephen Beal
President
California College of the Arts
5212 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94618
and
1111-Eighth Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
Email: [email-masked]
Telephone: 510-594-3630
Fax: 510-594-3797
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