March 6, 2012
Letter to campus from Pat Bosco
K-State Students:
In my role as dean of all students, I am personally and professionally committed to the support, care and advancement of our school's international community of students, scholars and families. It is my privilege and honor to serve, promote and encourage this incredibly important part of our K-State family.
The response from our students (domestic and international), faculty, fellow administrators, alumni and student leadership to an opinion piece in the Collegian has reaffirmed my belief in Kansas State University as a welcoming, inclusive community. I also appreciate that the student who wrote the editorial and the student editor have apologized for the piece. It is imperative for each of us to maintain our perspective and not let our university be defined by any one person or action. We live in a time when information and misinformation can circle the globe in minutes, which, while amazing, can have unintended consequences.
We need to do more as a K-State family to get out of our personal comfort zones and grow in the appreciation of the world around us. I encourage you in the next few days to attend a cultural event, sit with a group of students outside your own cultural group at lunch, read "Zeitoun" (our freshman book selection) and share your thoughts with someone who is not like you. Will it be easy? Maybe not, but doing things the K-State way means doing what's right. It might be easier than you think!
I know you will continue to walk on campus with your head held high, offering a ready smile, "hello," or welcoming nod to fellow students, regardless of who they are or where they are from. I encourage you to consider studying abroad, or just take a modern language course or UFM class addressing another culture. The world we live and work in will continue to become more international so please look for intentional ways to grow, welcome and support one another…while always wearing purple!
We have been given an opportunity to reaffirm our international student and scholar commitment. As we strive and plan to increase student success for all of our students, let’s grow as a K-State family in new and exciting ways.
Go Cats!
Pat J. Bosco, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Life/Dean of Students