A message to the Cambridge community one week after the tragic passing of Jason Arday.
Today marks a week since the tragic passing of our former colleague Jason Arday. Last Friday we heard the terrible news of his death and this past week has been a time of profound grief and deep reflection in our community. We understand the pain, sadness and anger that many of our colleagues, staff and students are feeling. We have been reaching out to meet as many of you as possible, to hear from you, and will continue to do so.
At the heart of these terrible events are people who are hurt and grieving. We are appalled that many of our Black students and staff, as well as members of our Faculty of Education, continue to receive racist, hateful and abusive messages in online forums and on social media, and condemn all forms of abuse.
We have been coordinating with external providers to enhance our provision of culturally and racially-sensitive support for staff and students, and this information is being shared with those directly impacted. More information on other forms of practical support will be shared with University institutions next week.
The University is committed to learning lessons from this tragedy, and is taking steps to establish an independent process that will enable thoughtful and thorough reflection as an institution. In the meantime, we are focused on supporting members of our community and ensuring that our staff and students have the care and support they need.
With best wishes,
Professor Deborah Prentice
Vice-Chancellor
Professor Bhaskar Vira
Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Environmental Sustainability
Professor Kamal Munir
Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor for University Community and Engagement
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