We, as the leadership of Asian Student Alliance, request that our learning environments remain inhospitable towards hateful speech, including but not limited to:
● “Wuhan virus”
● “Chinese/China virus”
● “Kung flu”
● Threats or demands that individuals “go” or “return” to other countries
While we understand the importance of freedom of speech and expression, we believe these terms endanger the safety and wellbeing of our students. These terms create association between a deadly disease and a specific identity, fueling stigmatization that puts an entire community at risk.
We ask that faculty prevent, address, and eliminate the use of these terms in favor of scientific, universally-accepted names such as COVID-19, etc. This will ensure a safer, more productive learning environment for everyone. Furthermore, this will demonstrate our university’s intolerance towards hate, bias, prejudice, and racism.
We also stress the importance of reporting incidents in which these terms are used, regardless of whether they are targeted at a specific individual/group. Only by reporting can we obtain the data necessary to form effective solutions in the future. The bias incident form for Regis University can be accessed using the following link: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?RegisUniv&layout_id=4
As a Jesuit institution, Regis University is committed to cura personalis—encouraging care and concern for the whole person—and we believe our request will help uphold this value in our learning environments. We are grateful, in advance, for your efforts to promote equality at Regis University.
Regis University Asian Student Alliance