President responds to racially offensive campus posters

A message from President Brooks Keel

Dear Augusta University Community:

I have learned today that once again an outside group that identifies with white nationalist ideologies has placed material on our campus. These posters appear to be part of a broad campaign by the group to solicit support and have been found on over 30 university campuses across the nation, including California, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Texas, Illinois, Washington, Massachusetts and Georgia. The flyers do not represent an exchange of ideas or an opportunity to promote healthy discussion, but instead were designed to intimidate and threaten as well as cause dissension and division on university campuses.

The university is working with all appropriate officials to explore the situation and insure the integrity of our campus. We will provide updates as they become available.

I encourage the campus community to report any knowledge of the origin of this activity to the Augusta University Office of Public Safety at 706-721-2911.

As members of the Augusta University community, we vehemently reject all forms of racism and bigotry. These concepts are contradictory to the core values we uphold for our community. As an institution, the sentiments expressed by this group are not supported by Augusta University and we abhor the manner in which this group has sought to disrupt the sense of community on our campus.

Jaguar Nation is strong because we stand together and because we benefit from the unique contribution of each one of us. Let this now be a moment when we rededicate ourselves to caring for one another and to building an even stronger university. The actions of these individuals will neither diminish our dedication to inclusivity nor weaken the bond we have as Augusta University.

We stand together.

Brooks A. Keel, PhD
President