Denouncing Police Brutality and Racism

On June 5, 2020, Dean Laura Haas sent the following message to students, faculty and staff of CICS:

CICS Community, 

I write today to add my voice to the tens of thousands of protesters who have filled the streets this week calling for an end to police violence, hatred, and racism. Silence is not an option. 

The College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) joins Chancellor Subbaswamy in denouncing police brutality and racism. We recognize the pain that is being experienced by our community at this time and stand in solidarity supporting our students, faculty, and staff of color as we mourn the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and the many that have come before them. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn have laid bare the systemic oppression that has been a part of our country’s history since its founding, resulting in vast disparities for Black Americans. As an academic institution, we have and will continue to work to fight oppression in all its forms—hate, bigotry, prejudice, and racism have no home in CICS or at UMass Amherst. 

Our college’s vision, Computing for the Common Good, is a call to action to bring our community together. I urge you to heed this call by being empowered, driven, and decisive in service of the common good. Through careful listening, conversations about racism, and sustained action, we can and must work together to ensure that our vision for fair, equitable computing is realized not only through our research, but also through the way we conduct ourselves in our classrooms, workplaces, residence halls, and the greater community.

If you need support or assistance during this time or would like to start a conversation, please contact our college’s Director of Diversity and Inclusive Community, Erika Dawson-Head (erikahead [at] cics.umass.edu), or participate in some of the opportunities for dialogue organized by the CICS Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

In solidarity, and with my best wishes for your health and safety, 

Laura Haas 
Dean