Message to the Community from President Cassidy

This message was sent from President Kim Cassidy on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.

Dear Bryn Mawr Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Last night, members of the Core Strike Collective issued a Strike Conclusion Statement, ending the sixteen-day strike that had been taking place on campus since November 3. The Collective also shared with the campus a powerful reflection on their actions, the outcomes of that collective effort, and their ongoing commitment to the work of change.

I am deeply grateful for extensive work that the Core Strike Collective has done on behalf of transformation—work that continues and amplifies the efforts of countless BIPOC students, faculty, and staff over many years. This strike has challenged us to face our history in new ways, to confront persistent institutional barriers to progress, and to commit to change. The way forward requires us to be accountable for creating more equitable and inclusive structures and practices. 

Throughout these sixteen days, I and members of the administration have certainly made missteps, and we again apologize for those. But we have remained committed to learning, and we remain absolutely committed to the institutional work that is required to achieve equity and justice at Bryn Mawr.

My hope is that this time will mark a watershed moment in our history and accelerate the work that must be done to make Bryn Mawr into the place it aspires to be. The commitments we made on November 16 in response to the demands are a beginning, not an end. 

Our way forward will require building new relationships and engaging in repair, even as we remember what members of the Core Strike Collective made clear:  this is not a return to “normal.”  What was considered normal is unacceptable, given the harm it did to so many.  I thank the Collective for their tireless work on behalf of transformation, and I ask us all now to turn to the work of meaningful action and change.

Sincerely,