Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

Alumni Message

June 10, 2020

Dear Alumni,

In these difficult and challenging times, I write to you, our alumni, to reaffirm the Law School's unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. This is a time of pain for everyone, especially the members of the Black community. The senseless killing of George Floyd and the heartbreak and unrest that has followed reminds all of us that our nation must strive much harder for equality, justice, healing, and unity.

At Texas Tech Law, we are committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment where every student can thrive. We are also committed, as a law school, to educating lawyers who are dedicated to justice, equality, freedom, and the rule of law. We emphatically reject racism and racial injustice in all its many forms.

The Law School pledges to work harder than ever to advance our principles and live up to our ideals. We are building on a strong foundation, but there is much more work to be done. Starting now and continuing through the academic year and beyond, the Law School will work to foster candid conversations, engage in careful planning, and pursue new action items in support of diversity and justice.

We will work with many groups, including our campus partners such as the TTU Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; our faculty, staff, and student Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; our Chapter of BLSA and many other student organizations; and our student Diversity Advisory Board, now in its second year. We will also work more broadly with our faculty and staff.

Our alumni are also a very important voice. We want to hear from you, and we welcome your input and your ideas in these deliberations. In particular, we will be working with our newly-formed alumni Special Committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice—with its membership drawn from the Law School's Foundation Board and our faculty and staff.

In consultation with these many voices, the Law School leadership team and I will prepare a more formal statement of our commitment to further progress and develop an array of new initiatives and actions that we will pursue in the coming weeks and months. As we move forward, we ask for your support and your understanding. We are all in this together. We must keep working to make a better world.

Sincerely,

Jack Wade Nowlin
Dean and W. Frank Newton Professor of Law

 

Community Message

June 3, 2020

Dear Law School Community,

I write to echo the recent messages of President Schovanec and Vice President Sumner, which can be found here and here. I strongly encourage you to read these messages if you have not done so already.

We are living in a very difficult time—one of racism, economic dislocation, and a pandemic. We will never forget this moment or the shocking death of George Floyd.

We at the Law School support our main campus leaders in reaffirming Texas Tech's unwavering commitment to a welcoming environment for all, and we will continue to deepen our commitment in this school to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

As a school, we are committed to our students—their education, health, and well-being. As a law school, we are also especially committed to justice. In the face of challenges, we will work harder than ever on all fronts for progress.

We know many of our students are in pain, especially our students of color. I particularly want to remind our students that we are always here for you. When you need something, please reach out to us. We will offer you a helping hand—whether you need advice, support from our student emergency funds, or something else.

Never hesitate to ask Dean Sofia Chapman, me, or any member of our community whenever you need anything.

The Law School will follow up soon with more information on diversity, equity, and inclusion resources and plans for later this summer and the fall. Please also consult the Diversity Division's website with more information here.

Remember we are all in this together. We have to keep working for a better world.

Sincerely,

Jack Wade Nowlin
Dean and W. Frank Newton Professor of Law