Catching up with Cody: Reflecting on my first month

Dear Colleagues,

Last week I attended a meeting in Washington, D.C., with my peer Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) presidents. The travel time, the packed agenda and the rich conversation encouraged me to reflect on my first full month as Interim President for Regis University.

I am particularly humbled and grateful to be among a team of dedicated and remarkable higher education leaders who are united in our Jesuit Catholic values and aim every day on their campuses to encourage mutual respect and promote human dignity.

I thought too of presidents of our country's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and their students who are dealing with another wave of bomb threats. Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick expressed in an email to the community, "As we mark the beginning of Black History Month, we must remember what the Black community has endured, overcome and achieved despite the threats against us and the hate we have received.

Now is the time for us to embody the resilience and persistence of our ancestors. We must move forward with our missions, undaunted by the threats of bad actors and strengthened by the examples of excellence set by those who came before us.

This month, let's lead from the front with our Jesuit Catholic values. Let's pray for our HBCU peers and take to the battlefield of justice. Let's create spaces of education, community and healing. Let's be radically inclusive.

Better together,