Standing in Solidarity and Affirming Commitment Through Action

Seattle University faculty, staff and administrators are committed to doing the work for a better future that affirms Black Lives Matter.

In Provost Shane P. Martin’s recent letter to the campus community, written in collaboration with Dr. Natasha Martin, vice president for Diversity and Inclusion and Dr. Alvin Sturdivant, vice president for Student Development, and in consultation with President Stephen Sundborg, S. J., Martin states, “Using the tools of the university—teaching, research, policy analysis, dialogue and debate and the development of creative works and new ideas—we will redouble our efforts to be leaders for our communities and to stand with the Black community in support of anti-racism and against white supremacy.”

Academic Assembly adopted a resolution pertaining to governance decisions and “making anti-racist curriculum and pedagogy part of its curriculum review criteria.” In turn, Provost Martin and his office will work with Academic Assembly, Staff Council and student governing bodies to address the issues that the community is calling for.

Michelle Kim, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), shared a message with the OMA family titled, In Mourning & Solidarity, which accompanies a video message from the Seattle U Black Student Union (BSU) on OMA News.

The following details provided by OMA highlights programming and external wellness resources for our Black students:

• Moral Mondays focus on the Black presence—past, present and future—at Seattle University. Advocating for Seattle U as a place and space for the national conversation on race, police violence and the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Wellness Resources Include:

• Therapy for Black Girls
• Black Men Heal
• Audre Lorde Project—Breaking Isolation: Self-Care & Community Care Tools for Our People

Student Clubs:

• African Student Association (ASA)
• Black Law Student Association
• Black Student Union (BSU)
• Seattle U National Society of Black Engineers

Action Steps

With the well-being of students being of utmost concern, the following excerpts from the recent communication from the Provost highlight Seattle U’s immediate guidance to faculty and students:

•  Faculty in courses with scheduled final examinations should communicate with their students and let them know the grade they have earned for all work completed, not including or calculating the final examination. Students have the option of accepting that grade or taking the final examination.
  
  
• For courses that do not have a final examination but a culminating project or activity, the professor should decide if the culminating project or activity can be waived (some professional programs require completion of these activities for licensure requirements). This should be communicated to students.
  
  
•  A student may also request an incomplete, which should be honored. A student who requests an incomplete has up until the first four weeks of the fall quarter to complete the final examination or culminating project or activity, or other work.
  
  
• As previously communicated and because of COVID-19, students may also request a CR/F grading option, for which they should first consult with their academic advisor or program director.

• If faculty have questions about the above guidance, they should consult with their dean’s office or the Provost Office.