An Apology to Our Campus Community/Feb. 10 Chapel

Feb. 11, 2022

Friends,

During an Andrews University Chapel talk on Thursday in Pioneer Memorial Church (which was part of a “Chapel Menu” series of talks in different locations across campus yesterday), the speaker included a series of stories and a poem about a variety of experiences in Southeast Asia.

As he shared those stories, the speaker—who does not come from a Southeast Asian ethnic or cultural background—relied on assumed accents and broken English as he attempted to portray how various Southeast Asian individuals may have spoken in those situations. This use of stereotypical perceptions of how other cultures and backgrounds speak (as well as to make light of how well other cultures and backgrounds might understand or use English) is offensive and is something that has no place in our richly diverse Andrews University community.

Since that talk, a number of student leaders and others from our Asian communities here at the University have approached our University chaplain, José Bourget, directly expressing their specific concerns and their deep disappointment and hurt in how their communities were inaccurately and inappropriately portrayed in that Chapel talk.

Following those conversations with our students and others yesterday, our chaplain as well as our vice president for University Culture & Inclusion, Michael Nixon, have spoken with me about that Chapel talk and the hurt it has brought to valued members of our campus community.

In turn, I want to let you know that I am sorry to hear about the inappropriate stereotyping that took place in this program and the specific pain it caused to valued fellow members of our family.

I apologize on behalf of Andrews University.

I would also like to affirm and celebrate those student leaders who took the opportunity to share their concerns immediately and directly with the University. These students are deepening their influence and purpose as student leaders as they demonstrated a clear desire to advocate for their fellow students while also calling upon our entire University community to clearly understand and uphold our principles and values.

As a result of this incident yesterday, we will not be posting this Chapel talk online. Additionally, Chaplain Bourget remains committed to helping our off-campus speakers understand the Andrews University expectation that all our diverse campus cultures deserve respect and celebration.

I also want to affirm that our students and employees, who all come from literally hundreds of cultures and backgrounds, are each one a valued part of the rich tapestry of our University and of God’s Kingdom—a tapestry that always deserves and demands a consistent Christian attitude of understanding, care and respect for one another on each step of our shared journeys.

As we together seek to be World Changers for God’s Kingdom, this shared goal to daily respect and honor one another in our diverse community is a value that remains central to our—and God’s—hearts.

Sincerely,

Andrea Luxton
President