The report of a racially motivated attack and subsequent investigation has been difficult for our University of Iowa community. We will continue to reach out to everyone involved, including Marcus, in order to provide support and assistance.

Regardless of the outcome, this incident highlighted a level of fear and distrust on our campus that must and will be addressed. Our students, faculty, and staff deserve to feel safe and supported, and that requires relationships built on trust and respect. We will be working with student leaders, including UISG and GPSG representatives, this summer to prioritize actions we can take to improve our campus climate for everyone.

This incident made us aware of opportunities to improve current UI protocol when students report off-campus incidents; allowing us to better serve students and still remain aligned with the best-practice standards of trauma-informed response.

In addition, this fall the UI will launch the Bias Assessment and Response Team (BART) to address incidences of bias. We will keep the UI community informed of our work and will seek feedback and collaboration moving forward.

We encourage students who are seeking help to contact University Counseling Services (319-335-7294), the Center for Diversity and Enrichment (319-335-3555), or the Office of the Dean of Students (319-335-1162).

Bruce Harreld, President
P. Barry Butler, Executive Vice President and Provost
Georgina Dodge, Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President
Tom Rocklin, Vice President for Student Life
Lucy Wiederholt, Interim Assistant Vice President and Director of Public Safety
Lyn Redington, Dean of Students and Assistant Vice President
Rachel Zuckerman, UISG President
Lauren Freeman, UISG Vice President
Joshua Schoenfeld, GPSG President
Jasmine Mangrum, GPSG Vice President