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Dear Members of the ºÙºÙÊÓƵ Community,
 
It is difficult for us to find the right words to capture the sorrow and outrage that all good people feel at the carnage inflicted on nightclub customers in Orlando, Florida, early Sunday morning.
 
Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families and friends involved in what is being described as the worst mass shooting in our nation's history. Though details are still emerging, the fact that this horrific act of murder occurred in a club known as a popular gathering place for LGBT patrons casts a particularly threatening pall on members of that community, regardless of where they live.
 
Authorities are calling this an act of terror and hatred, and we in the ºÙºÙÊÓƵ community want the world to know we stand in solidarity with all people who are victims of hatred and violence anywhere in the world. We also stand with the Orlando community in our shared grief and in our gratitude for the first responders whose brave actions are credited with saving dozens of lives.
 
The terrible news out of Orlando reminds us yet again that attacks on any of us ― regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation — are attacks on us all and on our shared values of equality and dignity for everyone.
 
As a community, the best way we can respond to such acts of hate and terror is to redouble our efforts to make ºÙºÙÊÓƵ a place where everyone among us ― no matter who they are or what they believe ― is safe and treated respectfully.  
 
Sincerely,  

Ralph Hexter
Acting Chancellor

Ken Burtis
Acting Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor

Adela de la Torre
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity

Julie Freischlag
Vice Chancellor for Human Health Services and Dean ºÙºÙÊÓƵ Medical School

Shaun Keister
Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations

André Knoesen
Chair, Academic Senate

Harris Lewin
Vice Chancellor for Research

Kelly Ratliff
Interim Leader, Finance, Operations and Administration

Rahim Reed
Associate Executive Vice Chancellor for Campus Community Relations