Office of the Provost

Dear UConn Faculty, Staff, and Students:

Election Day is approaching next week, Tuesday, Nov. 3. As this date approaches, we want to reaffirm our values as a public institution.

Universities provide immense public service when they marshal their academic and research capabilities to illuminate and evaluate society’s pivotal moments. Presidential elections are exactly such times. They can provide an opportunity to learn and grow as an academic community through conversation and frank but respectful exploration of others’ viewpoints. They can also elicit strong emotions as we each consider the consequential decisions that come with our votes.

UConn does not endorse or oppose particular candidates or political parties, nor does it take an institutional stance on contents of campaign platforms. At the same time, we consider it part of our responsibility as a public institution to facilitate civic engagement, thoughtful dialogue, and inclusive participation in our community and society at large.

We encourage you to engage with our voting information resource online, https://kindness.studentaffairs.uconn.edu/voting-information/, where you will find information on how to cast your vote as well as upcoming events and conversations regarding this year’s election.

One of the series you will find at this site is called “Now What?”, hosted by the Humanities Institute and featuring several small dialogues hosted by faculty and staff about working past the election and seeing through to the future. You will also find a series of programs hosted by UConn’s cultural centers designed to serve as virtual healing spaces. Both of these series speak to UConn’s role as a facilitator of reflection and conversation regarding this pivotal moment in our society. They also exemplify the diversity of constituencies represented among our students, faculty, and staff.

As an institution that values diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), we will never accept or condone acts of bias, bigotry and other forms of discrimination, which political tensions can inflame. Those behaviors have no place at UConn and we will take actions to protect the well-being of our community, such as continuing our DEI training amid threats to cut federal funding for doing so, or our advocacy this summer against restrictions for international students.

UConn students, faculty and staff, and alumni have been bold and dynamic participants through the years as Americans have grappled with cultural, regional and economic divisions, and ways in which to find common ground and move forward toward the next century. We hope these resources provide valuable support and guidance at this very important and impactful time in our nation’s history.

Sincerely,
Tom and Carl

Tom Katsouleas
President

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs