Dear Colleagues,

About two weeks ago, evil visited our campus and changed our university forever. UNLV has now joined a group we never wanted to be a member of – campuses that have been attacked and lost lives to gun violence.

The attack on December 6 appeared to be directed at faculty. Three beloved colleagues were killed, and another seriously injured – all of them faculty members of color.

While some have speculated on the motive of the attacker, it is important to let law enforcement complete their investigation before we draw any final conclusions. The tragedy was exacerbated by a racist and hate filled email that was sent to some of our Black faculty and staff after the shooting. There is a separate investigation into that email.

As a campus, we are a source of light and learning, we lift spirits and build futures. Although none of us are insulated from hateful words, we will do our utmost to protect our faculty and to stand up for our values of equity and inclusion.

Last week, members of university leadership met with the Faculty Senate leadership, department chairs, and diverse groups. We listened to concerns about areas where we can improve as a campus community, including steps to keep faculty safe and to better acknowledge how these events have created fear among our faculty.

As a university striving to better reflect our student population within our faculty ranks, we value and appreciate our diverse faculty. We commit that on our road to recovery, we will continue to listen and strive to restore the sense of safety among our faculty of color, as well as our entire campus community, to the greatest extent we can. Thank you, in advance, for helping to create a better and stronger UNLV.

In solidarity and sadness for our community,

Keith E. Whitfield, Ph.D.
President

Chris L. Heavey, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost