(DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)
In a year when more Americans voted than ever before, I write to thank the DePaul community for participating in the electoral process and fulfilling their civic duty. Throughout the recent days of unsettling uncertainty, we at DePaul could hold fast to what we know to be true—today, tomorrow and for as long as this university stands: we are stronger together.DePaul is a community gathered together for the sake of our mission, inspired by the legacy of Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise de Marillac. For more than a century, the values of inclusivity and Vincentian personalism have shaped DePaul's belief in the God-given dignity of all people.
DePaul is committed to promoting and providing a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment for our entire community. This university has always understood its Vincentian mission to call for an open and richly diverse community of learning, reflecting the experiences and concerns of those from differing economic, ethnic, gender, racial, and religious backgrounds.
The pandemic has been difficult for everyone. Many of us have worked hard to adjust to teaching or learning online, overhauled work processes to promote safety or handled this new normal while juggling personal and economic challenges. In recent months, we again witnessed the dispiriting persistence of racial injustice and the grief, anger and frustration that gripped our communities in its aftermath. This acrimonious and divisive election year compounded all of those anxieties.
Please know there are many resources available through DePaul if you need support. You can find those resources detailed here in the message I shared before the election.
In the past eight months, I have asked you to look to one another for support and to show grace to your fellow students, professors and colleagues. Please keep in mind that we are all carrying extra stress and anxiety these days, and a kind word or extra patience goes a long way.
Thank you for all you do to keep our DePaul community strong.