Dear Colleagues,

I want to follow-up on the president’s note sent this afternoon to the UofL community regarding diversity and inclusion, a key Cardinal Principle.  Our communities of color have been hit disproportionately hard by COVID 19 infection and death rates leading to stress and anxiety which have been further exacerbated by events playing out across our nation and within our own community.  The recent tragic events reopen wounds cut by historical contexts and as these incidents occur, we are all impacted; but none more so than our African American colleagues.

In times like these, when the pitch of emotional tensions is escalating and frustration is compounded, it is important to hold ourselves and each other accountable to the principles of fairness and equity. Unjust acts of racism, violence or hatred should not find easy resting spaces among us. We must be active in our effort to make our school a place where everyone feels welcome, heard and supported. 

I fervently hope that as events play out the outcomes are framed in justice and fairness. 

As your dean, I will host a virtual town hall next week to listen to your concerns and hear your ideas for advancing our work to reduce disparities and enrich prospects for equity and inclusion. In the meantime, if any of you need an additional safe space to talk or share your concerns, please contact Dr. Dwayne Compton, our Chief Diversity Officer, at 502-852-5303 or via email at dwayne.compton@louisville.edu. Please also feel free to reach out to me directly at toni.ganzel@louisville.edu.  In addition, we want to remind you of counseling services available through the HSC counseling services team or the EAP. 

It is my hope that individually each one of us will take the opportunities provided by town halls, trainings and presentations at our university and across our community to grow in our understanding of diversity and inclusion in ways that we have not yet considered.  In order to effect community change, we must also invest in our own personal growth.  The events of the last several months confirm that change must occur.

 Dr. Toni Ganzel, Dean, School of Medicine