Recently, the Imperial College London in the United Kingdom said in a statement that they updated the design of the crest to no longer include the motto - "Scientia imperii decus et tutamen" which can be translated as "Scientific knowledge, the crowning glory and the safeguard of the empire," because the motto is not in line with current culture and values.

The new crest is already in use by the President's Office and other central services at the college. Some materials and merchandise may continue to bear the Latin motto for a short while as the new design is adopted. The move aims to better reflect the College's culture, values, and commitment to supporting a diverse and inclusive community.

In a statement, the Imperial College stated it can stop using its motto, but cannot simply reword it. The Latin motto was assigned to the institution in 1908 after it was certified by Royal Warrant. "Introducing a new motto would require a new Royal Warrant to be issued by The Queen, as well as approval from the College of Arms," reads the statement.

Different schools in different countries and regions have responded differently to recent discussions and protests about racial issues.

Last week, a longtime professor from University of California, Los Angeles in the United States (UCLA) has been placed on leave after facing backlash over his response to a student's request to postpone the final exam for African American students, considering the impact of George Floyd's death, RT reported on June 8.

Last week, a group of minority students emailed Gordon Klein, an accounting professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management, asking him to let black students sit out this week's exams in light of recent events. Klein received the email on June 2 and rejected the student's request.

He said online classes can't tell a student's race by name. "Are there any students that may be of mixed parentages, such as half black-half Asian? What do you suggest I do with respect to them? A full concession or just half?" he added. And finally, he quoted Martin Luther King saying that people should not be evaluated based on the "color of their skin."

Some students were outraged by Gordon Klein's response, and a student named Preet Bains started a petition on Change.org to have the professor fired. The petition describes Klein's response as "woefully racist," RT reported.

So far, the online petition has garnered nearly 20,000 signatures. UCLA stated Professor Gordon Klein will be suspended for three weeks starting June 25 while he is investigated for racial discrimination.

However, some students think the Professor seems to be defending Martin Luther King's idea that everyone is equal. An on-campus advocacy group and a counterpetition are calling for UCLA to reinstate Klein and for an apology to him.

Also, they launched an online petition asking UCLA to reinstate Professor Klein. At press time, according to the site's data, support for Klein's return to school was overwhelming.

(Cover image from VCG)