The faculty and staff of the Chemistry department want to acknowledge and share our heartbreak and anger over the recent events afflicting Black communities, both off campus and on campus. We see these events and countless others like them as direct evidence of the racism that is embedded in our society and institutions, including St. Olaf.
The Chemistry Department stands with the Black, Indigenous, and Men and Women of Color students, faculty, and staff against racism on campus and in our community.
The chemistry field has been historically exclusionary of people based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, nationality, and religion, and we are still feeling this impact today. While our field has made strides to increase the diversity of chemists, there is still much work to be done to fully make the field anti-racist, inclusive, and equitable for all. The Chemistry Department is committed to this work. We think about it when we design new courses, develop activities, and sit on committees. We strive to do more. We are committed to actively listening to you and to identifying specific actions that will result in everyone feeling more supported. We welcome any and all feedback and suggestions to help us make the Chemistry Department and the St. Olaf community a more welcoming and equitable place for all of our students, faculty, and staff.
We are here to support you. We value your thoughts and opinions and want to hear from you. If you are not comfortable speaking with us directly, you can post your thoughts and/or concerns to this anonymous google form (your submissions will be shared with chemistry faculty and staff).
The St. Olaf Chemistry Department