A Message on This Time from JJC President Dr. Judy Mitchell

Joliet Junior College President Dr. Judy Mitchell shared the following message with students and employees on June 1.

JJC Campus Community,

The distress I am feeling today is strong. I want to reach out to each of you, though we are separated by the pandemic, to come together in this time of anxiety, unrest, anger, fear, and withdrawal that hangs heavy on our country and in our community.

The death of George Floyd shows again we as a country are not where we need to be. Intentional, unnecessary violence is not the answer. The wounds continuously opened by this deep societal and racial conflict cannot heal if these inexcusable actions continue. 

Mitchell head shot
Dr. Judy Mitchell

I am conscious of this feeling nationally and I am conscious of this feeling on our campus, and how strongly these come together and impact our African American employees and students daily, and all people of color.

I know for many, words only acknowledging tragedy seem empty, and words disappear as soon as they are spoken. Our cultural beliefs, world views, and identities influence who we are. We will use our similarities and our differences to come together in shared acts of commitment and faith to drive our vision of a strong and inclusive community.

As your president, I publicly denounce acts of violence to achieve this vision. I urge everyone to channel their energy into a conduit for change. This energy, whether it is of anger, sadness, alienation or otherwise, needs to create a solution. This is a systemic problem, and we must all be part of the solution. While I know our institution is a small part of this ongoing national tragedy, we MUST do our part to overcome systemic racism and the generations of barriers it has brought to our nation and to our community.

People of color in our community—you matter, and your safety on our campus and in this country matters. I will continue to carry out our vision to nurture a culture of inclusion and respect for EVERYONE as outlined in the college’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy.

As a reminder, we have options for support for students and employees.

For students:

The Student Wellness Advocate team is offering specific sessions to support students through these very difficult times. If you need individual support, please:

  • Call 815-280-2936 and leave a message with your full name, student ID, and best number to return call. 

Additionally, starting tomorrow, the Wolves Wellness Virtual Support Group will kick off for a virtual 6-week group conversation every Tuesday from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Students can join visiting: http://bit.ly/JJCSummerGroup.

For employees:

Contact our ComPsych Employee Assistance Program by calling 833-962-0004 or visiting guidanceresources.com. You can also download the ComPsych GuidanceNowSM app. We are also currently in conversations with Kaleidoscope to provide additional support as part of their partnership with us.

While our social contract of basic human decency and respect are threatened, we will come together in peace, guided by principles of humanity—compassion, understanding and empathy.

Judy Mitchell, Ed.D.

President

Joliet Junior College