February 24, 2023 - Uniting to Stand Against Racism on Campus

Dear Campus Community,

Yesterday, we were alerted to racist vandalism in Butte Hall that appears to target a specific employee. It is the second incident of its kind and involved defacing the popular “You Belong Here, Racism Doesn’t” stickers and signs produced by our Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

These deplorable acts are an attack on not only the individual who was targeted, but also our community, our mission, and our shared values. They do not reflect the inclusive learning communities we aim to foster—and we condemn them. The University is currently investigating both acts as well as a racist and misogynistic disruption to an online class that occurred last week. If you have any information about who may have committed these acts or see anything else that is of concern, please submit an anonymous tip.

Beyond identifying and holding the responsible individual(s) accountable, it is equally important that we improve our campus culture and make it clear that racism is not tolerated at Chico State. Changing our campus climate and ensuring BIPOC employees and students know they are safe, respected, and critical to our campus is going to take all of us.

In the spirit of countering hate speech with more speech, I’m encouraging employees and students who want to support BIPOC colleagues and peers to display our “You Belong Here, Racism Doesn’t” stickers and signs proudly and prominently to send a message that we, as a campus, are united against racism. You can print out and display the attached poster.

These incidents and similar expressions of hate, not only on campus but across the country, can cause alarm, especially among the BIPOC communities. If you find yourself in need of support, please do not hesitate to reach out to on-campus resources such as The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Cross-Cultural Leadership Center, and the WellCat Counseling Services, or one of our many other programs and organizations that support our campus.

Sincerely,
Gayle Hutchinson
President