June 18, 2020
Academic excellence. Student-centered. Integrity. Innovation. Opportunity. Scholarship/Research. Community. Diversity. These core values govern NSU’s actions, and we are grateful for your support in order to help us lift up these values. Thank you for helping us create an institution that invites conversations—even the difficult and uncomfortable ones—in times when we need to listen to our students and community in order to foster scholarly inquiry into the most difficult issues facing our society. 
Originally published on June 4, 2020
Message of Support from President George L. Hanbury

NSU Family,

Since my last correspondence to you regarding the murder of George Floyd and racial injustices that are pervasive in our country, I want to further communicate with the NSU community. Two coroners have determined that George Floyd’s death was a homicide and 4 police officers, one charged with second-degree murder, were arrested. These are individuals who swore to protect and serve all people of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and their failure to protect is causing unimaginable pain to not only to the family of Mr. Floyd, but the nation. Yet another Black man has lost his life to senseless and avoidable violence.

Since Monday, the peaceful protests in more than 145 major cities in this nation have prompted insightful comments from our students, faculty, and staff asking for further expressions from me. I have heard from many of you, including the Undergraduate Student Government Association—your words and messages have come through loud and clear, along with those of Mr. Floyd’s brother, Terrence Floyd, and NSU’s Inclusion and Diversity Council.

Here is my response to many of your questions and concerns.

As your president and as a human being, I loudly and clearly condemn all forms of racism, bigotry, and discrimination in whatever insidious form they take. Anyone viewing the protests would realize the gravity and the deep-seeded ugly underbelly of racism and bigotry that has been building over generations and has caused indescribable pain, agony, injustice, and death to thousands of people and families.

This has all resulted in movements such as Black Lives Matter and I support its peaceful voice and desired actions. My heart is with those who continue to be victimized in our society, however, as a white man, I will never fully understand the fear, agony, and pain that these families and generations of Black citizens have faced. I do know that for far too long feel-good dialogue and non-effective rhetoric have substituted for what was needed: actionable change.

I, as well as NSU, have always supported the use of peaceful demonstrations to condemn the violence against minorities and people of color, to speak out strongly against systemic racism, and support the charge towards essential reform. NSU has always had the history of providing education and services directly to underserved communities.

Events since my last communication with you vividly demonstrate that this nation is at a crossroads—a place where real dialogue, reflection, listening, and support must happen. And I feel that for us, even though we are small on the national stage, our voice must be louder since we can lead by example to others. I agree with many of those who wrote to me that we need to continue to reflect, listen and respond proactively to create meaningful change.

Consequently, we will be scheduling additional opportunities for virtual forums – since we are still in the throes of a pandemic – such as those facilitated by our Inclusion and Diversity Council, which has been active since 2006. Additionally, I will schedule Town Hall meetings with students, faculty, and staff members on these topics when we can assemble safely.

My heart is with those who continue to be victimized in our society – a product of the social inequities and disparities that relentlessly assault their rights to the freedoms and justice that we all deserve. These are uncomfortable and hard times to be sure, but we have the power and ability to raise awareness, and more importantly, create change in our communities.

NSU has a distinctive tradition of diversity in its student body, faculty, and staff for more than 50 years and continues to be a minority-majority university. Despite these credentials, it remains a work in progress to ensure continuous improvement and recognize the strength of racial diversity as embraced in our core values. I understand that the university has not yet achieved all of its goals but will continue to strive to do so with your voice and engagement.

Sincerely,
George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D.
President and CEO, Nova Southeastern University 
Leading the Way
In 2006, the Inclusion and Diversity Council (ID Council) was formed at Nova Southeastern University as part of an initiative to “Do Something Different.” The group’s primary objective was to invite a campus-wide change in behavior related to diversity matters.

Today, the council, which consists of volunteer members from administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the community, works to advance the mission of NSU by helping to facilitate the infusion of inclusive consciousness and behavior within NSU and beyond. When the call went out recently to council members inviting them to participate in a forum to discuss the racial justice issues that have been brought to the forefront in the past few weeks, over 90 people joined the Zoom conversation.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Brianna Burch, Milton L. and Barbara H. Jones Endowed Scholarship Recipient
Brianna Burch is a first-generation college student focused on completing school and embarking on a successful career. Her path to NSU included bumps and road blocks, but she has made it a point to keep her head held high. Her determination and service to the African-American community helped her earn the Milton L. and Barbara H. Jones Endowed Scholarship.

Brianna recently had the opportunity to thank Mr. and Mrs. Jones for their contribution to her education.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
NSU Distinguished Alumna Leads A Career Of Service Through Puerto Rico’s Toughest Times

Nilda Banchs (Pharm.D. '01) is the President of Farmacia El Tuque in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and co-owner of the pharmacy’s parent corporation, ServiFarma, Inc. She is a proud  NSU Distinguished Alumna  from the NSU College of Pharmacy. Read more ...
Upcoming Events
Join us on Zoom or Facebook Live
Times for all upcoming events are EST
Thursday, June 18 | 10:00 a.m.
Mental Health Care for Front Line Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
NSU College of Psychology panel featuring Carlos Garcia, Psy.D., Maria Espinola, Psy.D., Alex Aragaki, M.D., FCCP, DAABIP, and Sara A. Hosn, Psy.D.

Thursday, June 18 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Defying The Odds: Black Male Therapists Discuss Intersectionality in Academia
Join NSU’s Department of Family Therapy for an exclusive discussion on navigating issues of race, resilience, and relationships in today’s social climate.

Thursday, June 18 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Shellfish: The Ocean's Britta Filter
Rachel Silver has worked on a multitude of shellfish restoration projects and strives to make our oceans healthier and cleaner! Join this webinar to learn all about the importance of shellfish in filtering our oceans and removing particulates/contaminants from the water!

Thursday, June 18 | 4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Library 101: Advanced Database Searching
presented by the NSU Alvin Sherman Library

Thursday, June 18 | 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
"Stop and Smell the Rose" Summer Wine Series
presented by the NSU Alvin Sherman Library Circle of Friends

Friday, June 19 | 12:00 p.m.
NSU LGBTQA Pride
The NSU College of Psychology presents a community panel of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members.

Friday, June 19 | 2:00 p.m.
Racial and Cultural Trauma and the Impact on Community Mental Health
Join United Way of Broward County for a webinar. The purpose of this training is to identify and recognize the impact that race-related stress has on racial and ethnic minorities and how it affects their mental health and may contribute to trauma symptoms. It will also delve into the importance of cultural sensitivity and cultural competency when working with marginalized populations. 

Saturday, June 20 | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
You Got This—Marketing Your Business
presented by the NSU Alvin Sherman Library and sponsored by the SunTrust Foundation

Tuesday, June 23 | 1;00 – 2:00 p.m.
Blacktip Shark Migration
Professor Stephen Kajiura presents his research in Blacktip Shark Migration.

·         Wednesday, June 24 | 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Intersection of the Caribbean Diaspora and the Black Lives Matter Movement
This discussion will look at historic and current issues in examining the Civil Rights and the Black Lives Matter Movement from a Caribbean perspective. Along those lines, this discussion will explore the human rights experiences and challenges due to systemic racism in the United States.

Thursday, June 25 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Sharks 4 Kids
Learn all about sharks from the founder and president of Sharks 4 Kids, Jillian Morris.

Thursday, June 25 | 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
The Wellness Check: An Open Forum on Racial Healing and Trauma

Tuesday, June 30 | 12:00 p.m.
Unconscious Bias and Its Effect on Philanthropy in Our Community
A roundtable discussion presented by the
Association of Fundraising Professionals Fort Lauderdale / Broward Chapter
In Case You Missed It
On the heels of our nation and the world facing the unprecedented health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to confront the social injustices and ingrained biases that have plagued our country since before its founding. We must come together to expand our knowledge of the social complexities and societal breakdowns that are fueling this crisis and may potentially impede us for generations to come. Hear from experts who will share their experiences and offer steps so that we can become the change we want to see in the world.
 NSU Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice, “Racial Equity and the need for Police and Criminal Justice Reform in America” Town Hall
Celebrating NSU's "fin"tastic faculty/staff alumni ambassadors!

To view additional NSU-related videos, subscribe to the NSU ACR YouTube channel ...
Learn how the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act impacts charitable contributions here ...
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