IHEP Releases Statement on Oregon Community College Shooting
Published Oct 02, 2015
The Institute for Higher Education Policy is incredibly saddened by Thursday's mass shooting at Oregon's Umpqua Community College. We must ensure our schools and colleges are safe places where students can learn without fear of violence.
Ten people at the school were killed, and another seven injured, by a gunman who allegedly targeted certain groups of people, Christians in particular.
There have been 17 shootings on college campuses this year, according to news reports, but Thursday's incident at Umpqua has resulted in the highest death toll. Such incidents have become far too frequent, and our nation's students and college employees deserve far better. Our hearts go out to the latest in this string of victims and their families.
Community colleges like Umpqua serve so many underrepresented students – young people and adults alike – who are working to attain the knowledge and skills that can get them to a better life. In fact, nearly 60 percent of students at Umpqua, in the small town of Roseburg, Ore., come from low-income families.
They – and the Umpqua community – didn't deserve what happened to them yesterday. No one does.
We cannot afford to tolerate this kind of violence, discrimination, and hatred anywhere. And we certainly cannot tolerate it at our nation's colleges and universities.
All of us at IHEP are mourning today.
