Tragic Events in Buffalo and Reflecting on Recent Events

Dear Middlebury Community,

We condemn the racist and hateful acts targeting a Black community Saturday and resulting in the deaths of 10 people, and any act that targets a specific group of people based on ethnicity, beliefs, or identity. We express solidarity with their communities and families. Each of us will experience these events in our own way, and we ask that you respect those differences and also take time to check in with one another.

We at Middlebury are reckoning with our history as an institution even as we navigate real world events and incidents that have impacted our students’ sense of belonging and safety on campus. Each incident serves as a reminder to all of us that we have work to do to ensure we are actively maintaining an equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist environment. We are steadfast in our commitment to becoming an anti-racist institution as reflected in the Action Plan for Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and know that this work is continual.

While we are not able to provide details about any active investigation on campus, we are grateful to the many members of our community who have spoken out to reaffirm the kind of campus we are striving to be and who have provided support to the students who have been impacted.

As we prepare for finals and two in-person graduation ceremonies, we look forward to celebrating the best of what our community has accomplished and has the potential to be. We hope this is a moment where we ask not only our graduates to imagine the change they can be in the larger world, but also what each of us can do to transform the shared world of Middlebury.

Sincerely,

Laurie Patton

President

Smita Ruzicka

Vice President for Student Affairs

Renee Wells

Assistant Vice President of Education for Equity and Inclusion