Education Abroad

Education Abroad Office Statement on Racial Justice

In light of the murder of George Floyd and other black Americans, we at the OIP want to state that black lives matter. Diversity and multiculturalism are at the very heart of our mission and our policy as an internationally-focused office is to treat students, faculty, and staff of all races, religions, genders, abilities, and sexualities with acceptance and respect. We expect all those who enter our space to do the same. 

Becoming anti-racist is lifelong work both personally and systemically. None of us are immune to the effects that structural racism has had on our own social programming. Therefore, our office has committed to a long-term dialogue on race and decolonization, supported by anti-racist works and media. We will use our learnings and resources from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to better inform our policies and procedures and to actively advocate for anti-racism within the UMaine system and in our community.

We look forward to continuing our partnerships with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of Student Life, the Counseling Center, and others to advocate for your success here at the University of Maine. If you would like to read more about UMaine’s position on these issues, please see this statement from the Office of the President.