Dear USF Community,
Recently, there has a been a significant increase in the number of bias incidents experienced by members of the Asian community. While these incidents have been reported in other parts of the country – rather than at the University of South Florida – we are deeply troubled by these racist attacks.
As expressed in our Principles of Community, USF rejects racism, bullying, violence, prejudice and discrimination as they undermine the community we aspire to be. In summer 2020, we established an anti-racism initiative to bring more attention to racism and provide transparency in our efforts to eliminate it. The recent attacks against the Asian community are a reminder of the broad scope of racism and how our anti-racism efforts provide us with a valuable framework to address issues affecting all racial and ethnic groups. We value the contributions of our Asian faculty, staff and students to our community, and we are committed to supporting a safe and supportive environment for all.
In solidarity with the Asian community and all those impacted by these acts, we are providing a list of resources available on our campuses. We invite students and any member of our USF community who has witnessed or experienced racial bias or attacks to report them to the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunity (DIEO) so that we can provide support. USF also provides access to mental health and counseling services with trained professionals. Moreover, our anti-racism website serves as a repository of information about events occurring across our campuses related to racism, including events that illustrate how we are proactively working to address bias and discrimination.
As we navigate these uncertain times, USF remains committed to dismantling racism and upholding our Principles of Community as One USF.