Adler University trustees reminded students, alumni, faculty and staff this week that they are not alone in the crusade for social justice. The University’s Board of Trustees shared a call-to-action letter encouraging community members to persist in the fight against inequities with courage. This message was sent to the community on the eve of the Annual University Retreat themed, “The Activist in All of Us”:
As the Board of Trustees for Adler University, we believe in our institution’s ability and responsibility to shape our future.
In our role, we are charged with promoting the vision and mission of the University, ensuring that the strategies for the future are aligned with our values. As Adlerians, we know community connections determine community health (social interest or gemeinschaftsgefühl), and we understand the influence of social determinants and their impact on individuals’ health and well-being.
We believe this is a particularly challenging moment for those of us working to advance social justice around the world, and we applaud the faculty and staff’s recent Voluntary Statement of Shared Commitment.
We support our entire community – students, alumni, faculty, staff, and trustees – to reflect, acknowledge, discuss, and appropriately take action when our leaders and policy makers create and promote policies that are discriminatory, that negatively impact the most vulnerable, that are designed to strengthen the business community at the expense of society at large, and that are not based on fact.
Our belief in human potential is grounded in everyone having access to opportunities and support that nurtures the development of their best self. When this gets threatened or disrupted, by internal or external forces, Adlerians are prepared to step in to address inequities and offer engagement that leads to healing and growth for both individuals and communities.
We stand together, now more than ever, to uphold the University’s values of pluralism, social interest, excellence, pragmatism and especially important at this time, courage.
Sincerely,
The Board of Trustees of Adler University