“100 UVU scholars” letter featured in Salt Lake Tribune

This letter was featured in the Salt Lake Tribune on Saturday May 2 as the Letter of the week. There were 108 signatures when it was submitted. There are now 114.

(More than) 100 UVU Scholars Committed to Diversity and Inclusion

George Pyle wrote Sunday in the Salt Lake Tribune that Gene Schaerr, the lawyer hired by the State of Utah to argue against marriage equality in the 10^th Circuit Court of Appeals, has filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case and has done so for “100 Scholars of Marriage.” Pyle noted that among the 100 are 13 with connections to Utah, including, “most notably, Matthew Holland, the president of Utah Valley University.”

All of us, including our university president Matthew Holland, have the right to speak publicly as private citizens on controversial issues. However, as the public face of UVU to the larger community, Holland has a special responsibility to avoid public pronouncements that would harm his ability to carry out his duties as president of a state university officially committed to “diversity and inclusion.”

As current and former members of the Utah Valley University faculty and staff, we find President Matthew Holland’s promotion of the spurious ideas expressed by the “100 Scholars” and the potential association of UVU with the Schaerr brief to be disappointing and harmful to values at the core of our public university.

Jim Harris, Biology,

Scott Abbott, Integrated Studies and Humanities

Daniel Horns, Earth Science

Catherine Stephen, Biology

David Knowlton, Anthropology

Sam Rushforth, Biology

Lyn Bennett, History

Alan Clarke, Integrated Studies

Alex Simon, Sociology

Angie Banchero-Kelleher, Dance

Christa Albrecht-Crane, English

Jeff Torlina, Sociology

Dan Stephen, Earth Science and Environmental Studies

Karin Anderson, English

Robert Robbins, Biology

John Hunt, History

Nancy Rushforth, Integrated Studies and Humanities

Laura Hamblin, English

Katherine Paulick, Sociology

Bob Palais, Mathematics

Steven Emerman, Earth Science

Denise Richards, Student Leadership and Success Studies

Nathan Gorelick, English

Laurie Whitt, Integrated Studies and Philosophy

JaNae Haas, History

Michael Bunds, Earth Science

Stacy Waddoups, Student Leadership and Success Studies

Bill Evenson, Physics

Kate McPherson, English

Anita Bradford, History

Chris Weigel, Philosophy

Mike Jensen, Student Leadership and Success Studies

Emily Holt, Biology

Lydia Kerr, English

Cindy Hamman, Dental Hygiene

Janice Sugiyama, Biotechnology

Larry Harper, English and Philosophy

Kevin Eyraud, ESL

Christine Contestable, Philosophy and Student Leadership and Success Studies

Monica Campbell, Dance

Matt Horn, Chemistry

Lisa Hall Hagen, Theater

Gaya Carlton, Nursing

Joel Bradford, Earth Science

Mark Lentz, History

Lisa Lambert, Student Leadership and Success Studies

Michael Goode, History

Ross Hagen, Music

Jan Wellington, English

Hazel McKenna, Developmental Mathematics

David Yoder, Anthropology

Leslie Simon, Humanities

Sandy McGunigall-Smith, Behavioral Science

Anne Arendt, Technology Management

Richard Tolman, Biology

J.C. Graham, Suicide Prevention

Dennis Potter, Philosophy

Paul Bybee, Biology

Glendon Parker, Biology

Deb Thornton, English

Lee Anne Mortensen, English

Kindra Amott, Philosophy and Humanities

Erin McClure, Summit Program Manager

Colleen Bye, Developmental Mathematics

Alex Strasburg, Center for the Study of Ethics

Karen Mizell, Philosophy

Deborah Marrott, Basic Composition

Keith Snedegar, History

Sam Liang, Humanities

Sandra García-Sánchez, Developmental Mathematics

Jamie Johnson, Veteran Coordinator

Mavis F. Green, Aviation

Robbin Anthony, Student Life and Wellness

George Veit, Dental Hygiene

Garth Tino, Exercise Science and Outdoor Recreation

Lisa Williamson, Women’s Success Center

Liz Owens, Sociology

Jenna R. Atkinson, Assistive Technology

Brooke Swallow, Student Life

Heather Holland, Philosophy and Humanities

Chelsey Darrington, Graduation and Transfer Services

Gabriel Black, Lead-Staff Interpreter

Tiffany Yoast, Student Leadership and Success Studies

Tia Sorensen, Prospective Student Services

Michaela Giesenkirchen Sawyer, Humanities

Samuel Banford, English

Numsiri Kunakemakorn, Secondary Education

David Heldenbrand, Computer Science

Kristin Nuesmeyer, Academic Advisor

Betsy Lindley, Exercise Science and Outdoor Recreation

Jerry Petersen, English

Sarah Donohue, Dance

Terrell Wyche, Biology

Wioleta Fedeczko, English

Russ Harrel, Earth Science

Brad Morin, Mathematics

Scott Williams, Exercise Science and Outdoor Recreation

Suzanne Walther, Earth Science

Mark Olson, Integrated Studies

Michael T. Stevens, Biology

Travis Reynolds, Behavioral Science

Catherine McIntyre, Archivist and Digitization Librarian

Maritza Sotomayor, Finance and Economics

Reba Keele, Public and Community Health

Lucille Stoddard, Business and Academic Administration

Eric Robertson, Humanities

Suzy Cox, Education

Machiel Van Frankenhuijsen, Mathematics

Joshua Snyder, Biology

Emily Bullough, Library

Grant Moss, English

Paul Weber, Physics

Rick McDonald, English

Ed Firmage, Humanities