|
This has been a difficult week for us all. I made some agonizing decisions in the past few days, and I know those decisions have affected people's lives. I made those decisions, however, because I lost trust in the judgment of senior staff on whom I depend as I lead this University. At the Board of Regents meeting this morning, I apologized for our failures of process and compassion to the young woman involved in the alleged sexual assault case, to her parents, to our community, to our Board, and to the citizens of Iowa. I also assured our Board that we were moving forward swiftly and decisively in doing what we need to do to restore the faith of the people of Iowa in our institution, to create a culture of respect on our campus, and to make changes that will ensure we handle sexual assault situations with the utmost clarity, integrity, and compassion. I reiterate that apology and those assurances to you, our University community, now.
At the same time, I want you to know that I have the fullest confidence in and utmost admiration for this University community. We have thousands of talented faculty, staff, and students on this campus, and I fully support you in your pursuits and the integrity that you show every day. The University of Iowa is strong because of strong people who achieve excellence with pride and honor. We do have much work to do in restoring the public's trust in this institution, but the foundation of that trust is your exemplary work. I have the highest faith in this University, its people, and our ability to move forward.
And that is exactly what we must all do now—look forward to what we can and will accomplish. My immediate tasks are in rebuilding. As I focus on rebuilding our policies and procedures on sexual assault that must be models of responsibility, clarity, and integrity, I also join you in continuing to rebuild our campus in the wake of the flood. In both cases, we will come out stronger than we ever have been. I also continue to work on rebuilding our University leadership team. In all of our executive searches—new ones and those that are continuing—we will recruit leaders who know and understand the best practices in their areas of expertise, and who will bring new energy and vision to our University.
We also look forward to many exciting innovations ahead of us in teaching and learning, research and creative endeavor, and service. We have a new strategic planning process and a new capital campaign on the horizon to advance our continuous renewal. We must also continue to dream, to envision our future boldly, to be the best University we can be. This incredible institution has led the world in astonishing ways, and we will not lose sight of our ever-expanding possibilities. Our state and nation place an enormous amount of trust in our educational and research leadership and service. Fulfilling that trust with excellence and integrity is my strongest commitment, and I know it is yours, too.
Sally Mason President |
