A Message from the Chancellor, President and Chief Diversity Officer

The following message was distributed to the Webster University community on March 4, 2022.

To the Webster University community,

This week, Webster University hosted our annual Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Conference. We welcomed thousands of attendees from business, government, nonprofit and educational institutions across the country and around the globe. The conference is a time to have open conversations about difficult topics from which we all grow. It is also a time when we at Webster show the world who we are and what we represent as an institution.

While the conference was taking place, our focus and that of the world was also on Ukraine. This is yet another occasion for Webster to clarify what we represent. We are an institution that promotes peace, coexistence, mutual understanding and stands for democracy and freedom. We are the home of students from more than 120 countries around the world. The flags that fly at our campuses proudly represent our students. The only sides we take are those that represent respect and grace for everyone who is a member of our global community as well as our Webster community.

It is our diversity that defines our greatest strengths and that enables us to call ourselves global citizens. This was true when Webster welcomed women students of Japanese descent whose families were living in internment camps during World War II. This was true when we graduated our first Black students in 1950, four years prior to Brown v. Board of Education. This continues to be true today. Let us not forget - at Webster we are all Gorloks.

Webster is a place which has always supported people who face challenge. We are a place of safety and refuge. We leave no one behind. We lead and succeed together as one global community. Webster stands for peace and condemns war and aggression. That was our stand on conflicts before, and it is our stand now regarding Ukraine. We will continue to educate, foster dialogue and actively work toward peace around the world.

Elizabeth (Beth) J. Stroble
Chancellor

Julian Z. Schuster
President

Vincent C. Flewellen
Chief Diversity Officer