December 2018

In recent months, white nationalist groups have targeted campuses across Montana with racist messages. At Montana State University Billings, this included posters from an identified white nationalist hate group and prerecorded phone messages espousing hate speech to faculty and staff.

We, the Academic Senate, recognize and celebrate our diverse students, faculty, and staff at Montana State University Billings. We embrace and value the diversity of our campus and reject the message that the posters and phone calls promoted. There is no place for hate speech on our campus.

Our classrooms and larger campus community are enriched and enhanced by diversity and difference – including, but not limited to, gender, sexuality, ability difference, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, religion, and culture. We respect and affirm the dignity of each member of our larger community. We defend the right to free speech and uphold the principles of civil discourse at MSUB. In this spirit, we openly and unequivocally condemn messages that target and denigrate any member of our community. Everyone on our campus should feel safe and valued. It is our goal to continue to cultivate a culture of respect, inclusion, support, and celebration of difference.