Penn State President Graham Spanier advised faculty yesterday to be aware of the recent racial incidents at the university.

"We all have to be part of the solution," Spanier said. "Threats of the kind we've seen, while they may be directed at just a few individuals, really have wide implications and affect all of us. It's something I'm very concerned about and that I've spent a lot of my time worrying about over the last several weeks."

In remarks at the University Faculty Senate meeting yesterday, Spanier made reference to the recent racist threats mailed to three Penn State students and a university trustee.

In response to a question from a faculty member, Spanier said it was appropriate for faculty to devote class time to discussing racism.

"It's a 'teachable moment,' as some of us say," Spanier said. "It's a moment here that we have, because of the visibility of these issues, to talk not just about a selected number of incidents but broader issues and what it means."