February 21, 2022
Dear students,
This is my second week as Provost of Indiana University Bloomington, and I assure you that this is not the topic I would have chosen for my first letter to the Greek community.
We are aware of the disgusting, hate-filled, antisemitic posts on the Greek Rank website—an external, independent site—that named several Greek-letter organizations on our campus. This attempt to anonymously spread hate is cowardly, horrific, and simply unacceptable in the IU community. We have contacted the site to ask for the messages to be taken down immediately. A police investigation is underway, and the person or people who made these posts who can be identified will be held accountable.
As all our students should know, Indiana University is committed to creating a safe, inclusive environment. No harm or injustice can be solved through hate. When you became a student here, you took The Indiana Promise:
- I will be ethical in my academic work.
- I will take personal responsibility for what I say and what I do.
- I will respect the dignity of others, treating them with civility and understanding.
We want to challenge all of you to apply the Indiana Promise and the oath you took when you joined your organizations to your everyday lives at Indiana University. Please refer to IU’s Diversity Statement and the Bloomington Faculty Council’s Diversity Statement for a reiteration of these values.
Because of our commitment to ethics and inclusion, IU offers many resources to support you, including:
- Diversity education and training sessions
- Anti-racist tools and resources
- Bias incident reporting
- Bystander intervention training
Our Vice Provost and Dean of Students, Dave O’Guinn, and Rabbi Sue Laikin Silberberg, executive director of Hillel, met with the presidents of the Panhellenic Association and the Interfraternity Council on Sunday evening regarding these hateful comments and the university’s swift action in response. The staff in the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life are in close contact with the student leaders of the organizations most immediately targeted by these statements and are available to provide support and assistance. Confidential Victim Advocates are also available to provide confidential support to students impacted by any form of violence.
I want you all to know that this is something we take seriously at IU, and that this kind of event is deeply upsetting and disappointing. There is no place for hate or violence of any kind in the Indiana University community. If you are in need of mental health support, please contact CAPS for an appointment, and if you know someone who is suffering or needs additional support, please make a CARE referral.
We are stronger than our weakest links, and we are stronger when we can come together to support one another in challenging times.
Most sincerely,
Rahul Shrivastav
Provost & Executive Vice President