“Change does not roll in on the wheel of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lasting change does not come without commitment. It does not come without hard work or without tackling uncomfortable truths head-on. And the truth is, Ohio Wesleyan still has work to do to create a campus culture that is free from experiences of racism, oppression and privilege. We must take more action to ensure full equity for our students who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color.

The Ohio Wesleyan University Board of Trustees fully endorses and supports efforts to create a strong culture of antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion on the OWU campus, and we are creating the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Oversight Task Force to help guide the University’s work in this critical mission and to hold the administration and the faculty accountable.

We thank all of the students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends who have shared their thoughts on how we can make lasting and meaningful improvements to our campus culture. We are prepare to listen to the OWU community and we will work hard to help create lasting change.

John F. Milligan, Ph.D., ’83, P ’15, Chair of the Board of Trustees

June 18, 2020