Eastern Kentucky University Interim President David McFaddin says everyone on a college campus has a responsibility to foster racial understanding. McFaddin made the comments in a campus wide email this week following the publicized deaths of African Americans during police interaction in Louisville and Minneapolis.
In his message, McFaddin said one simple step is to embrace and practice kindness and compassion. “If we’re not willing to stand up and do that and be a part of that change, then we’re never going to see change. And so, when we talk about kindness and compassion and understanding and action, that’s got to start with us. It starts with each one of us individually,” said McFaddin.
McFaddin said the person who fills EKU’s Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Chief Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity office will play a key role in building an inclusive culture and programmatic offerings. He added that could include unconscious bias recognition.
McFaddin noted African American enrollment at EKU has remained steady at 800 to a thousand students for the past several years. EKU’s overall enrollment last fall was more than 16 thousand students.?
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