Recent White House Executive Order
October 13, 2020
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff of the Stony Brook Community:
Our university is guided by a five-part mission, which explicitly calls on us to celebrate diversity as we fulfill our commitments to provide high-quality education, advance knowledge at the highest international standards for research, deliver state-of-the-art innovative healthcare, and lead economic and cultural development in our neighboring communities and region.
The foundation of our efforts to celebrate and enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion reflect the understanding that racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice are irreconcilable with inclusive learning and work environments. In order for all members of the Stony Brook community to thrive, we must be willing to examine, recognize, and replace systems of inequity.
That’s why we found so troubling a recently issued White House executive order, "Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping," which aims to curb the use of certain diversity and equity training concepts for all federal agencies, contractors, and grant recipients, including colleges and universities. At this time in our nation’s history, we need more, not less, constructive dialogue about understanding differences.
Since the order was issued, we have been closely following SUNY’s guidance on this matter, and have supported a letter to the president representing AAU institutions, including Stony Brook, in addition to a wide range of colleges and universities represented by many other higher education associations, asking that the executive order be withdrawn.
We will continue to work closely with SUNY and colleagues across the nation to make plain the implications of this order, while standing firmly for the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and free expression.
Sincerely,
Maurie McInnis, PhD
President