What I do regret, however, is something that runs much deeper—the fact that these concert changes made some of our students concerned that we were making decisions based on fear and racial bias. We received feedback on multiple occasions from some students that they did not support these decisions and were confused and concerned that these changes were unnecessary. After many conversations and weighing these concerns, we opted to move the concert back to Maucker Union, with additional safety measures in place.

Some students told us they were worried there was a subconscious bias at play that we were not fully recognizing; others were concerned it was more intentional.

After wrestling with this difficult situation for the last two weeks, what I truly regret is that our actions were perceived as being motivated by these factors. Students expressed their concern not only about their university and the way it is governed, but also about the greater Cedar Valley community and its struggles with diversity. We know bias exists, and for some of our students, it plays a large role in their daily lives. There are much bigger conversations that must be had about diversity, acceptance, inclusion and respect.