Faculty Statement Crosses Campus, Hopes to Affirm Student Belonging
Tuesday, Nov. 19, saw students, staff, and faculty gather in nearly all academic buildings on campus to affirm their allegiance to each other and post printed statements to support their beliefs. Participants in the event gathered during protected hour to share the statement and post it around campus, before moving to Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel for a brief speech by campus chaplain Scott Matheney.
In the days leading up to the event, Instagram accounts representing nearly every department and program at EU posted a digital flyer created by Art Department Chair Andrew Sobol. The posts advertised an event where students and staff would post printed versions of the flyers and where staff would give a statement affirming their support to students.
The flyer itself contains a resolution passed during November’s University faculty meeting, stating the following:
“We, the faculty of Elmhurst University, support our students and staff and affirm their belonging to this institution regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship status, culture, language, dialect, accent, and/or ability status.”
The poster is branded with the motto “Together we belong” and references the “ever-widening circle,” a phrase used often during New Student Orientation to bolster and promote Elmhurst University’s culture of acceptance and growth.
Each academic building that hosted a portion of the event featured faculty reading out the resolution to attendees, followed by a brief discussion and time allotted to post copies of the flyer in the building where part of the event took place. Afterward, each group headed to the chapel for Matheney’s speech.
Matheney spoke of the history of acceptance at Elmhurst University. He referenced Elmhurst College’s role in protecting and housing Japanese citizens during World War II. He mentioned Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel, and how he helped discover the history of the event. Later in his speech, Matheney noted how Elmhurst University is now considered a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
A special point was made in the speech to note that though the events of the day could seem performative, performance is what helps bolster action.
After the speech, a group of music students led the attendees in singing along with Bob Marley’s “One Love.”
The event is in the wake of November’s faculty meeting, where some faculty members felt unsatisfied with Elmhurst University and President Troy VanAken’s response to the 2024 presidential election. They felt VanAken’s position of neutrality did not convey the support faculty wished to express for their students.
