Statement from President Coleman

I am devastated by Tuesday’s horrific school shooting in Texas. The murders of 19 children and two adults in a place of learning are unthinkable. And yet their deaths are now an agonizing reality for families and friends whose lives will never again be the same.

Classrooms should be safe havens where young people feel welcomed and where learning is celebrated. I am brokenhearted about the lost lives and the loss of innocence for the children who survived this terrible event.

I am also angry. I recently spoke with Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelenskyy, who told me the loss of children in his nation “is like losing your future.” We are facing the same in this country by failing to act against gun violence. We can best honor the victims of Uvalde – and Oxford, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Sandy Hook, and far too many other schools – by demanding a stop to this madness. To abide by the senseless deaths of schoolchildren means abandoning hope for tomorrow.

Resources for students 

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) mental health professionals provide support to individuals from a wide array of identities, including traditionally marginalized or disenfranchised groups. CAPS continually offers confidential, culturally-informed services and provides support for navigating national/world events impacting psychological well-being.

Dean of Students Office (DOS) staff provide direct support and assistance to students who are encountering anything that is interrupting their Michigan experience, and can also make referrals to other services, including Campus Climate Support and restorative pathways through the Office of Student Conflict Resolution.

Resources for faculty and staff

Faculty and Staff Counseling and Consultation Office
(734) 936-8660 or fascco@umich.edu

Michigan Medicine Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience
(734) 763-5409 or counseling@med.umich.edu