CLC Connection: We are in this together

As a college community, we have struggled with how best to respond to the recent act of violence against George Floyd and historically against people of color and American Indians, locally, across the state and our nation. We share the pain, anger and frustration reflected throughout our country in reaction to the racism, discrimination and inequity that persists in our society. We stand ready, humbly, with resolve, to address racial inequity and injustice, to better prepare all Central Lakes College employees, our students and our region, to be better and do better.

At CLC, it is imperative that we live every day holding true to our values of excellence, innovation, inclusion and community. Our highest priority is that every member of our community feels safe, valued and respected. Racism and racial bias have absolutely no place at Central Lakes College, and we will not stand silent in the face of discrimination and oppression.

We are incredibly proud to be this community’s college; our commitment to this work stems from our belief that education should uplift society and its citizens. The vitality of our communities and the success of our economy depends on creating access to quality education, increasing student success, and closing the opportunity and educational attainment gaps that persist in our state. Despite our best intentions and efforts to address racial inequality, it is undeniable that we have not made the progress that our students need and deserve.

Therefore, now is the time for commitment and change. We understand that the racial inequality cannot be solved through education alone. However, we commit to act. We commit to being part of the solution to achieve equity in our region. We embrace our responsibility and are committed to continuing this important work to address these issues collectively, with our community partners and others who are willing to step into this space. We invite you to join us in this important work. Reach out to Mary.Sam@clcmn.edu to learn more.

Being agents of change is uncomfortable and hard. Do we have all of the answers? No. But we must be brave. We understand that many of us, of you, can go home at night and tuck this recent situation, the history of oppression and racism away. Many of our neighbors do not have this luxury, as black, indigenous, and people of color live with systematic racism and oppression every day.

CLC is proud to be part of this community that we hold dear. We live here, work here, and play here. But, we also know that it is time for change. We are ready and willing begin a new conversation, a hard conversation, one that will allow us to grow together to create systematic change. Our students, our children are depending on it. Please join us.

We are #CLCstrong.

Sincerely,

Mary Sam, Dean of Students, Equity and Inclusion

Dr. Hara Charlier, President

Kari Christiansen, Vice President of Administrative Services

Joy Bodin, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs

Kristi Lane, Director of Human Resources