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To the SCS Membership:
In recent weeks the newly elected President of the United States has issued an array of executive orders, including some addressing postsecondary academic institutions and their right to engage in programming that encourages diversity, equity, and inclusion (notably EO 14151). A “Dear Colleague” letter from the Department of Education further threatens academic institutions with loss of federal funding for a broad range of such activities. The legal implications of these statements are not yet clear, and many are currently being challenged in court. In light of these statements, however, the Board of Directors for the Society for Classical Studies reasserts the following:
As our mission statement indicates, central to the values of the SCS are: “(1) Advocacy for the field as a humanistic endeavor and for those who teach, research, and study it, formally or informally, at any level; (2) Growth in the numbers of all those who share an enthusiasm for Classics; (3) Inclusion of different perspectives representing the many communities in North America and around the world that are now engaged with scholarly and cultural reception of ancient Greece and Rome.” We here reaffirm that one of the goals of the SCS is to make the study of the ancient Mediterranean past accessible, available, and attractive to all communities, especially those that have not traditionally engaged in the study of Classics. For the health and growth of our organization, we continue to support programs that focus on attracting underrepresented populations to the study of Classics, and we reassert our commitment to providing opportunities that lead to broader diversity in the field.
In keeping with our Statement on Professional Ethics, we pledge to treat all of our members equitably, fairly, and with dignity, regardless of “race, ethnicity, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and actual or perceived medical conditions.”
To respond to a rapidly changing political landscape, fulfill our mission statement, and support our members, the SCS Leadership commits to pursuing the following five-pronged approach:
- The leadership will work together with SCS committees and in conjunction with affiliated groups to assess need and distribute available resources to vulnerable populations within our membership.
- We will strengthen and expand current channels of communication within our organization and between our partners with regular updates on the progress of SCS initiatives.
- We commit to publishing a page on our website with a list of resources for our members, which they can distribute to colleagues and students who may be unduly affected by new government directives. We pledge to update this resource page on an ongoing basis as new information becomes available.
- We plan to host a series of online workshops and seminars starting next month for department administrators (e.g. chair, DGS, DUS) as well as faculty to share information, “best practices,” and potential strategies in different contexts for helping each of our local communities on the ground.
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We will identify new opportunities for more direct, ongoing participation in SCS activities for members. To that end we are crowdsourcing ideas and suggestions for further actions by creating a new channel for you to communicate to the SCS leadership directly. Click here to contribute your ideas.
We want to thank you, our members, for your continued support and engagement with SCS programs, and we look forward to working with you on these important issues.
The SCS Board of Directors
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