The Office of Academic Success and Intercultural Services seeks to support all students at the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL). Within our mission is the goal of providing specific supports to marginalized students.
The past few weeks have been particularly traumatic for students of the African Diaspora; as well as for people who love and care about those communities. The deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and George Floyd; along with the attempted wrongful accusation of Christian Cooper, have pulled back the curtain of systemic hate and discrimination that unfortunately continue to live in our country. It is clear that discrimination and fear are realities for many Black Americans.
UNL’s core values reflect a commitment to our community feeling accepted, valued, and safe. Living our values means that we all must be worried and concerned about the safety and well-being of African American and African communities, students, staff, and faculty members in times like these. Moreover, as a land grant institution, we take seriously the needs of Lincoln and the entire State of Nebraska.
To that end, OASIS and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion want our students, staff, and faculty to know that we are here to support and care for our campus. Please feel free to reach out to our staff to help refer you to services from UNL both within our offices and the larger campus. We will be providing outreach and programming to care for the community.
We are also working with campus partners to provide other opportunities for safe dialogue. Please follow our social media for updates on those events.
Finally, feel free to reach out to our staff at unloasis@unl.edu if you need to talk. We are here for you, with you, and recognize the effect that this type of trauma brings to mental health and well-being. Even in a pandemic, one needs close connections and outreach. Come to OASIS.
Sincerely,
Charlesette “Charlie” Foster, MA
AVC for Inclusive Student Excellence and Director of OASIS