Students at Iowa State University are on high alert after a swastika was found carved into a door at Buchanan Hall earlier in the week.

Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen and Associate Vice President and Chief of Police Michael Newton wrote a letter to the students regarding the recent incident of racism on campus.

Newton said the swastika carving isn’t the only racist incident ISU Police have found on campus this semester.

“We’ve had a couple of incidents where people have seen folks trying to put the posters up. Those have seem to happen in the cover of darkness two and three o’clock in the morning,” Newton said.

Newton said people have also come across racial stickers on light posts throughout campus.

“When somebody confronts them they’ll take off running, so they are little cowards. They take off and don’t want to have a conversation about the propaganda that they are putting up,” Newton said.

ISU Student Dana Knight said she doesn’t understand why someone would do that. “I think it’s gross and disgusting and not cool at all obviously.”

ISU isn’t the only university to see racial incidents on its campus.

“When I have talked to my colleagues throughout the country they’re seeing very similar posters. This is part of a larger national campaign that we’ve seen,” Newton said.

ISU Police is investigating the swastika vandalism and the Department of Resident is offering support and resources to all residents impacted on the floor of Buchanan Hall.