"The decision to exclude other Christian organizations from campus because they themselves are inclusive, despite Samford’s long ecumenical tradition and spirit, is deeply troubling and harmful."

Dear Dr. Taylor,

Like many other Samford alumni and stakeholders from all walks of life, I, too, am dismayed and saddened by the latest backwards stance taken by Samford’s administration. I was saddened by prior actions of Samford’s administration when your predecessor rejected the Samford Together organization even though the organization had already navigated the byzantine process for approval, including gaining approval from the faculty senate. The latest decision to exclude certain other Christian organizations from campus because they themselves are inclusive, despite Samford’s long ecumenical tradition and spirit, is deeply troubling and harmful.

Others have also no doubt described Samford’s impact on their life and path. I’m a 2004 graduate of Samford University with a BS in Geography and a Minor in History. My family also has a long connection to Samford spanning my entire life. My four years at Samford, and my longer family affiliation and interactions with Samford, no doubt played a crucial role in forging my path. Indeed, many amazing Samford professors instilled a life-long love of learning, both on Samford’s campus and in study abroad programs.

My own Samford degree comes from within Samford’s Howard College of Arts and Sciences, which “inspires students to a lifetime of inquiry and service through engaged learning, faculty research and vocational discovery within the liberal arts and the Christian ethical and intellectual traditions.” The education I received at Samford encouraged me to cultivate a depth and breadth of learning and engagement, which in part led me on my path to becoming a professor. I’m currently an associate professor of geography at a large, diverse, comprehensive public university. In this role, in addition to teaching, I also conduct community engaged research about the processes and impacts of how places respond—inclusively, exclusively, or a mixture of responses—to vulnerable and historically marginalized populations, and how such responses in turn impact places and communities. In summary, places that encourage engagement with diverse perspectives and that are welcoming and inclusive tend to thrive, whereas places that limit engagement and that exclude tend to stagnate and decline. I also serve on my university’s Presidential Commission on LGBTQ+ Initiatives. This includes supporting and participating in the SafeSpace program, a campus-wide initiative that facilitates a visible message of inclusion, acceptance, and support to LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff. I describe this context so that you can understand the path that a Samford education has encouraged me to follow. Through these interactions and experiences, I regularly observe and experience that the institutional, organizational, faculty, staff, and administrative support and affirmation provided for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff—who are all equally an important part of the community—are crucially important.

My Samford education helps me to see clearly that actions of any organization, such as a university administration, designed to limit engagement with diverse perspectives and experiences that marginalize segments of the community are incredibly shortsighted and harmful to many. These recent actions and messages of unwelcome and exclusion by Samford’s administration are misaligned with Samford’s Mission to nurture persons in their development of intellect, creativity, faith and personhood to foster academic, career and ethical competency while encouraging social and civic responsibility and service to others. These recent actions of unwelcome and exclusion by Samford’s administration are out of alignment with Samford’s Vision to be a diverse community with vigorous learning and personal faith, innovative in teaching, learning and research, sensitive to global issues, and aggressive in self-assessment and continuous improvement. And in no way do these recent decisions of unwelcome and exclusion by Samford’s administration align with Samford’s Core Values, which include engagement with the life and teaching of Jesus; learning and responsible freedom of inquiry; personal empowerment, accountability and responsibility; vocational success and civic engagement; spiritual growth and cultivation of physical well-being; integrity, honesty and justice; appreciation for diverse cultures and convictions; stewardship of all resources; and service to God, to family, to one another and to the community.

Indeed, the recent decisions by Samford’s administration designed to exclude particular perspectives and limit opportunities for engagement are the antitheses of what Samford taught me and of what Samford’s various schools and divisions advertise themselves to be. Such decisions further marginalize and intentionally harm LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff, and ultimately the university community as a whole. Such actions are not the actions of an institution of higher education. They especially do not reflect an institution consistently garnering high accolades for its academics and community engagement.

While I respect that persons serving in high levels of university administration, such as yourself, must navigate many different perspectives and situations, the correct course of action today is clear. Jesus welcomes all and does not exclude. When faced with a WWJD moment, Samford’s administration is apparently pursuing a pharisaic path.

Sincerely,
Paul McDaniel, PhD
Samford University Class of 2004