President Charles A. Wight

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

Classes will resume tomorrow morning at regularly scheduled hours (this includes the main campus, satellite sites, and other modalities).

Support and the opportunity to come together will be available in the center for Equity, Justice and Inclusion, located on the first floor of Blackwell Hall, from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm for all members of our community.

In addition to departmental and divisional meetings, SU's 10th Annual Teaching and Learning Conference will be held tomorrow as planned in Perdue Hall from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

We thank each of you for your thoughtfulness and patience as we continue to stand together.

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

There will be a number of gatherings on Thursday, February 20, to provide an opportunity for us to come together as a campus.

• The Counseling Center holds a special session from 10-11:30 a.m. in the Nanticoke Room, GSU. 

• President Wight holds an open discussion with students, faculty and staff from Noon-1:30 p.m. in the Wicomico Room, GSU.  

• Multicultural Student Services hosts students from 2-4 p.m. in the in Multicultural Student Services Suite, GSU.

• The Psychology Department hosts an open forum from 12:30-2 p.m. in Holloway Hall 114; it is open to all.

• Therapy dogs are on campus today in Red Square from 1-3 p.m.

• The School of Social Work holds a space for support and solidarity from 3-5 p.m.  in Conway Hall, Room 381.

• The Office of Diversity and Inclusion and PACE hold civic reflections and small group discussion in the Center for Equity, Justice and Inclusion, Blackwell Hall, throughout the day. Civic reflections are designed to engage everyone in a dialogue surrounding a central piece of text or image. The object provides a medium for us all to consider while addressing larger issues.
  • Hosted in Blackwell Hall (walk behind the stairs)
  • 10-11 a.m.
  • 1-2 p.m.
  • Learn More about todays Civic Reflections

• From 5-6:30 p.m. members of the campus community are invited to gather in fellowship in the Wicomico Room, GSU. Food and beverages will be available.

• The Residence Halls are holding meetings at various times. Please monitor your emails and/or reach out to your Resident Directors and Assistants for more information.

• The Staff Senate invites staff members to discuss the recent incidents from 2:30-3:30 p.m. at the Blackwell Hall Center for Equity, Justice and Inclusion (Room 102A). Staff senators, executive staff and other staff members will be present to discuss the incidents, response and future steps.

Please look for communications from your faculty or from your department that may be holding other meetings or gatherings.

Tonight, our campus is under attack by a coward. Not one but multiple racist threats are being directed at Black and Brown members of OUR community. An attack on some members of our campus community is an attack on all of us, and we all need to respond.

I know these crimes have frightened members of our campus community, particularly Black and Brown students, faculty and staff. I am appalled by these vile acts which are not welcome on OUR campus and do not represent our values.

I made the decision to cancel classes to give us all the opportunity to come together to process what we are experiencing, support each other and figure out how we can move forward together as a community.

The SUPD continues to work with the FBI and allied law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety and security of all members of our campus community. Since the first discovery of racist graffiti, we have taken every measure toward bringing the cowardly criminal or criminals to justice. We will not allow this to define us.

An email is forthcoming with information on the activities and services that will be available tomorrow to support students, faculty and staff as we deal with this. I encourage faculty and staff to join with me in supporting our students and one another as we take back SU.

Charles A. Wight | Salisbury University

All Salisbury University classes are canceled Thursday, February 20, to provide a day of healing following the most recent incident of threatening, racially charged vandalism discovered on campus.

Support services offices, including the Counseling Center, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and Multicultural Student Services Office will remain available throughout the day. The campus also will have an increased police presence.

Classes are expected to resume at 8 a.m. Friday, February 21. Please monitor SU’s website, and Facebook and Twitter accounts, for any updates.

Members of the SU Community,

I was disheartened to learn today of another instance of racially charged and threatening graffiti on campus, this time in Henson Science Hall. The Salisbury University Police Department has launched an investigation into this new and distressing incident.

Last fall, SU Police began an investigation into similar messages scrawled on the walls of two stairwells in Fulton Hall. Because of the sensitive nature of this case, we have not been able to divulge much information in that ongoing case. Today, I am at liberty to share a little more.

Since last semester, SU has been working with the FBI’s Baltimore field office, as well as local allied law enforcement agencies, as part of the investigation. These agencies, which also include the Maryland State Police, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office and Salisbury Police Department, as well as the FBI, have been notified of the most recent incident.

As the investigation into all incidents continues, you may be contacted by FBI agents or other law enforcement officials, or see them on campus. I ask for your full cooperation in providing any information they may need.

As you have so emphatically demonstrated in recent months, hate and discrimination will not be tolerated on this campus. I stand with you as we continue to navigate these difficult and unfortunate times.

Any further details on the investigations will be posted on the Office of the President homepage as we are able to release them.

Charles A. Wight