Dear FSU Family,
America is hurting, and many in our community are, too. This past week, I, along with members of my leadership team, met with faculty, staff and students, including representatives from the Student Government Association, the Black Student Union, the LGBTQ+ community and others. We heard their anger, frustration and sadness, and we share their concerns.
Florida State University is a vital part of Tallahassee, and it’s important that we work together with community leaders to address matters that impact our 42,000 students, as well as the faculty and staff who make Tallahassee their home. To that end, I have sent a letter to Mayor John Dailey and Police Chief Lawrence Revell requesting that they join me in a meeting with some of our university and student leaders, and they readily agreed to do so. I’d like to share that letter with you here.
My hope is that this meeting will further a very important conversation about race relations, discrimination and inequality as well as other concerns. This is just a first step toward positive change. I want to assure our students — and everyone in our campus community — that my commitment goes beyond hosting meetings and issuing statements.
I am listening, and my administration is committed to making long-term, sustainable changes to ensure that FSU and the Tallahassee community is a place where every single person is treated with respect and dignity and feels safe.
I often speak about FSU as a family, and that means sometimes we have to take a close look at what we are doing and how we can do better so that all of our members can thrive and feel truly understood, valued and supported.
I look forward to continuing to communicate with you about these important issues, and I welcome your feedback as we continue to strive to create a more inclusive environment for all.
Sincerely,
President John Thrasher