Dear campus community,At USF St. Petersburg, we stand united in our respect for one another and our belief that diversity and inclusion are essential elements of a just society. We are committed to working collaboratively to create a climate that is safe, affirming, and inviting for all. As such, we do not condone or support speech or actions that run counter to the values of inclusivity and jeopardize the physical or psychological health of others.
Inclusive Community, one of our university pillars, reflects a set of core values that speak directly to who we are and what we believe. As a campus of USF, a preeminent university, we strongly support recent work to identify the USF Principles of Community and the values that underly those principles.
We’d particularly like to underscore the principle of “Freedom with Responsibility,” which states: We affirm the value of academic freedom and the inherent value of people’s right to express themselves respectfully, freely, safely, and with civility. We reject the demeaning acts of bullying, violence, prejudice, and discrimination as they undermine the community we aspire to be.
We do not condone or support speech or actions that do not align with the Principles of Community defined by the University of South Florida. At the University of South Florida St. Petersburg we will not tolerate racism at any time, in any place, or in any circumstance.
Thank you for doing your part to help build the kind of caring community we stand for as your university.
Regards,
Martin Tadlock
USF St. Petersburg Campus Regional Chancellor