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|Hall of Flags Statement
May 10, 2006
Dear Colleagues,
The University of Texas at Arlington’s Hall of Flags was established to celebrate the diversity of the engineering school’s student body. These flags were not intended to endorse the politics or policies of any nation. As part of this display, the Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag represented our Vietnamese-American students and the flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam represented our international students from Vietnam.
Recently, a heated controversy emerged when Vietnamese-American students and their community strongly protested the flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, viewing it as a political symbol.
As a result, I have removed all 123 flags from the Hall of Flags. A cooling off period is needed for thoughtful reflection. In the fall I will establish a committee to explore alternative means to celebrate the diversity of our student body.
Our ultimate goal remains fostering a strong sense of community among all our students, including all our international students. We must never forget that a public university is a special institution that respects all individuals and embraces diversity.
Sincerely,
Jim
James D. Spaniolo, President
