With renewed social action in response to police killings of Black people across the country, many PSU faculty, staff, and students are reflecting on the ways the university perpetuates racial inequality. There have been pockets of effort as individuals come together to talk about what they can do, but racism is a systemic issue, and requires systemic solutions. Thus, the signees of this letter ask the university to implement annual anti-racism training as one part of greater efforts to address racism in the university. We believe that training is one way for PSU to commit to anti-racism, which clearly aligns with PSU’s Mission and Values.

PSU states within its Mission: “We educate a diverse community of lifelong learners.”

And PSU Values include: “access, inclusion and equity as pillars of excellence” and “everyone should be treated with integrity and respect.”

Many of the students, faculty, and staff recognize that PSU is not taking necessary actions to promote this Mission or these Values. In failing to take action in addition to making statements, the university continues to alienate the very students, faculty, and staff who make PSU diverse. Equity is difficult to measure, and discrimination or prejudice at times is unconscious and/or difficult to prove, yet this should not stop us from trying to ameliorate inequity.

Currently departments, units, and groups of individuals who are already doing anti-racism work are doing so in an ad hoc fashion, on their own time, and at their own expense. While this is commendable, depending on departments and individuals to initiate anti-racism training and discussion leaves these important avenues for growth inaccessible and unsustainable. To commit to its Mission and Values, the university needs to commit the financial and institutional resources necessary to provide training that reaches all current and future employees.

We recognize an immediate need for the university to provide annual anti-racism and cultural competency trainings to faculty, staff, and graduate student employees. We believe training has the potential to encourage growth and to reduce unconscious bias, so that those who make PSU diverse feel included and respected, and that the university is truly accessible to all.

We ask that this training is provided to all employees of the university, including all permanent, temporary, and contract employees as well as all volunteers who contribute to the functioning of the university. We believe that the administration, Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and graduate employees all contribute to the culture and environment of the university, and thus all need to be held accountable to embody and fulfill the university’s Mission and Values.