We, the undersigned, are petitioning to demand that the Office of Academic Affairs to reconsider the decision to eliminate Professor Vanessa Fox’s position in the Nature Park.  We believe that this decision does not reflect the opinions or the best interests of the student body at DePauw University. We believe that this decision violates the students’ rights because we have been excluded from the decision-making process.  

Being a student of Vanessa Fox at the DePauw Nature Park has been a pivotal experience of my education at DePauw University. Outside of practical experience, academia, and research experience, Professor Fox’s position at the nature park is of the utmost importance to build lifelong citizenship skills every student should have the chance to learn. I have been enrolled in Nature Park Research for two semesters, and also worked alongside Professor Fox for an additional semester while leading the Sustainability Leadership Program’s Wilderness & Conservation Group. Professor Fox helped us in acquiring a Gold Level Conservation status from the Indiana Wildlife Federation for the nature park, all due to her personal work and efforts to increase biodiversity, remove invasive species, and promote accessibility for community members and students to the park. In her role, she has been a key player in the nature park’s dedication to sustainability efforts and making our campus more environmentally conscious, all the while creating a space for environmental education for students as well. Her position is an essential and critical part to maintaining our university’s supposed commitment to environmental education, as stated by the Office of Sustainability. If DePauw truly cared about creating “opportunities for student-driven environmental initiatives” and “demonstrating the university’s commitment to environmental stewardship,” Professor Fox’s position would not be questioned or revoked. By being the sole provider, faculty-wise, for environmental stewardship platforms and learning experiences centered around the nature park, Professor Fox’s position is much more than just any professor in any department. She is the only faculty member who is consistently and actively working to better the nature park and better the student body’s understanding of the natural environment surrounding them. By taking away students’ one person who supports academic growth in this area, DePauw’s administration would be doing a disservice to the students and prospective students of DePauw for many years to come. I now question the validity of DePauw’s commitment to enhancing student’s environmental awareness and education through their careless thought to remove Professor Fox from her position.