Student leaders censure president Mark Kennedy
University of Colorado Boulder’s student government last week voted to censure system President Mark Kennedy “for failed leadership with respect to diversity, equity and inclusion,” while the campus faculty assembly is set to vote on a similar motion.
The CUSG Legislative Council voted unanimously to censure Kennedy at a virtual meeting Thursday, citing “racist or problematic” remarks, insensitivity and disrespect to the Indigenous community, not demonstrating solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community on campus and lack of action on issues facing international students and students of color.
“CUSG, as the representative body of the associated students of the University of Colorado Boulder, finds that President Mark Kennedy has failed to lead with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” the motion reads.
System spokesperson Ken McConnellogue said Kennedy supports the right of campus groups to make their voices heard.
“He also believes the CU community is making progress on diversity, equity and inclusion but there’s still work to do,” McConnellogue said. “He welcomes anyone interested in working to move this imperative forward.”
In a statement, student body President and Intercampus Student Forum Chair Isaiah Chavous said while he’s had positive collaborations with Kennedy this year, “it has become clear that the needs among the shared governance groups in the CU System are not being met.”
Grievances brought to Kennedy’s office by students have not been handled in a way that’s seen as impactful or properly addressed, Chavous said.
“On behalf of CU Student Government and the Intercampus Student Forum, I support any steps needed that will bring about the tangible change our community is needing,” Chavous said.
The Boulder Faculty Assembly introduced a motion to censure Kennedy at an April 1 meeting and is set to vote on the censure on April 29.
The faculty motion censures
Kennedy for conduct that “undermines the institution’s commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion” and “damages the national and international reputation of the University of Colorado as a leader in addressing the humanitarian, social, and technological challenges of the 21st century.”
CU Boulder’s Graduate and Professional Student Government also passed a resolution regarding Kennedy recently, which urged the Boulder Faculty Assembly “to hold President Mark Kennedy accountable for his inaction and damaging rhetoric through a formal censure to be voted on April 29, 2021.”
The resolution claims that “it is apparent that President Mark Kennedy has failed at his responsibility to uphold the pillars of the CU System, including justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.”
The resolution cites Kennedy not supporting international students who faced visa revocation at the beginning of the pandemic, using “Trail of Tears” as an idiom and not engaging with studentled diversity and multicultural groups.
Graduate student McKenzie Dice said she wanted to draft the resolution because the Boulder Faculty Assembly’s executive committee did not unanimously recommend that the motion to censure Kennedy move forward to the full faculty assembly.
“We feel it’s important for graduate students to speak up on this matter,” she said. “There’s been a lot of damaging comments made by the president that do not support justice, equity, diversity and inclusion efforts. We wanted to make sure those efforts and those values are being upheld, not only by the whole university, but it’s important that our university leaders uphold and support those as well.”