February 14,2023
Dear Lynx community,
Overnight and this morning, we have been processing news both devastating and familiar. Yesterday’s tragic shootings at Michigan State University, and another gun-related tragedy across our city at East High School , add to dozens of mass shootings that have already occurred throughout the U.S. this year. While these most directly affect the victims and surviving friends and family members, they have a ripple effect on many of us. This type of violence undermines our sense of safety in public settings, and violates our ideal that a campus of learning ought to be a place where people can freely interact without fear of harm.
As CU Denver’s chancellor, I grapple with these tragedies professionally as a leader of a public university with an urban campus, and personally as the mother of a college student. I empathize deeply with those who’ve had experiences on or near our campus or elsewhere that challenge their sense of safety or comfort. Below, I share a few updates in this regard and remind you of the many health and well-being resources available to faculty, staff, and students.
Like many of you, I will be thinking of the Michigan State University and East High School communities today, as well as the many other communities that routinely experience gun and other forms of violence. Please take time to prioritize your own mental health in the coming days and weeks, and be alert to peers who may be struggling and in need of comfort. And join me in not only hoping for better days ahead but also in working toward them.
Michelle Marks
Chancellor
@MarksMichelleA