College of Business Statement Regarding the Tragic Death of George Floyd

Dear Students,

I am writing to share the statements below from the College of Business faculty and staff and from our Interim President Michael Bernstein and President-Elect Maurie McInnis about standing together against systemic racism in our country. In a subsequent email to the campus community, Dr. Bernstein and Dr. McInnis reinforced support for the aims of Black Lives Matter and for those who are protesting the senseless acts of violence perpetrated every day against people of color. Our university has a tradition of inclusiveness and diversity. Our goal is to continue to create an open and vibrant academic community with opportunity and excellence for all. For more about our campus commitment to diversity, civility, and our expectations for all members of the campus community, please see  Diversity at Stony Brook. 

The faculty and staff of the College of Business emphasize the importance of social justice and corporate social responsibility. This is good business practice, of course, but also the way we want to live our lives in a civil and just society.

Sincerely,

Manuel London, Ph.D.
Dean

Statement from the College of Business Faculty on the Tragic Death of George Floyd

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so, so many others. As Interim President Bernstein and President-Elect McInnis stated, “recent events of the past few months have served as a profound reminder of the deep-seated racism, discrimination, and violence that plague the United States.”

In addition to the profound impact on society, issues of discrimination impact business. Discrimination in the workplace has a profound impact on corporate culture; it reduces feelings of psychological safety and has a significant impact on well-being. These behaviors, whether intentional or not, affect not only the direct targets of discrimination but everyone: coworkers, managers, customers, and anyone else who hears about it or experiences it. Furthermore, it is not enough to work to stop discrimination. As leaders and role models in our organizations, we must actively promote a culture of inclusion and the value of diverse experiences, opinions, and thoughts in order to innovate and attract a talented workforce. We, the faculty and staff in the College of Business, find acts of discrimination and violence abhorrent and we will not tolerate such actions in our classrooms, at our events, and in our interactions with one another.

The College of Business faculty members have made great strides to promote diversity and inclusiveness in the classroom, including diversifying syllabi to include authors who are traditionally marginalized and covering topics related to bias (both explicit and implicit) in the workplace. We will continue to work with student organizations to ensure diversity in speakers, panelists, and events. We are committed to working with organizations to support the pipeline of talented scholars and future professors that hail from traditionally under-represented groups.  While current issues related to violence against Black people in America prompt this message, our faculty and staff are committed to embracing diversity of all social categories, including gender and sexual orientation, nationality, disabilities, health, economic status, first-generation students, religion, and more. Of course, there is always room for improvement, and we ask all of you, how can we better support you? We welcome suggestions on ways that we can continue our efforts to make our classes and events a welcoming space for all. You can provide your input anonymously here.

Voting remains a key way of making your views heard and holding elected officials accountable for acting with civility, accountability, and respect. If you are not yet registered to vote and are eligible to do so, or if you have questions about your voter eligibility, please access Stony Brook’s Center for Civic Justice page to register to vote and learn more.

Finally, our campus has been recognized for its diverse student population and for its commitment to providing upward mobility for students and we support and continue these efforts within our own CoB programs.  

Statement from the Office of the President, Stony Brook University

Recent events of the past few months have served as a profound reminder of the deep-seated racism, discrimination, and violence that plague the United States. As we reel over the senseless murders of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and remain outraged over the inexcusable actions of Amy Cooper, our nation confronts another devastating instance of police brutality. The killing of George Floyd serves as another painful example of the systemic racial disparities present in our country. This event is made even more poignant during this time of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the unequal burden of the disease on communities of color.

We must stand up and speak out against injustice and ignorance. As a public institution of higher learning, we must use our power to address major societal problems. We want to reiterate and reinforce Stony Brook’s commitment to inclusion and acceptance of all who seek to work and study on our campus. We must actively work within our own communities to lead the change in our society we all want to see. By practicing inclusivity and celebrating the power and richness of diversity, we can stand together and remain unwavering in our embrace of the Stony Brook Community Pledge by promoting equality, civility, caring, responsibility, accountability, and respect.

As a community we must work together to drive positive change. We have asked our Chief Diversity Officer, Judi Brown Clarke, to reach out in the next few days with suggestions for how best to do that. In the meantime, please know that our campus resources are available to you should you need help in processing recent events.