Upholding Our Commitment to Freedom of Expression

Dear members of the Dartmouth community,

As we embark on a new year, with many of our graduate and professional students on campus for the last several weeks and undergraduates starting classes on Monday, we write to highlight one of the fundamental aspects of living and learning in an academic community: our shared commitment to Dartmouth's core values of freedom of expression and the respectful exchange of ideas.  

Our campus thrives when every member of our community feels empowered to share their perspectives, challenge one another productively, and take part in meaningful dialogue. Everyone in our community should feel welcome. That engagement is critical to building excellence and central to our mission.

As the leaders responsible for upholding Dartmouth's academic mission, we are deeply committed to promoting an environment where all voices that want to be heard can be heard.

To that end, this summer, faculty-led working groups—formed in the spring—have been making progress examining critical areas related to our freedom of expression policies and on whether, or how, Dartmouth should make institutional statements that take a stand on controversial or current events. These groups will share updates in the coming weeks with the goal of engaging the community and completing their work by the end of fall term. We have also gathered all relevant Dartmouth freedom of expression policies and information in one accessible location on Dartmouth's website to make them easier to find.

Three other important points to note: First, Dartmouth is fortunate to have support for expression and dissent on campus through our open expression facilitator (OEF) program, which began in August 2023. We are pleased to announce that this program— originally focused on undergraduates—is being expanded to our entire campus. Second, we are developing a Freedom of Expression Advisory Program that will include mediators and advisers to respond as needed to events on campus; engage diplomatically and thoughtfully with participants; and to communicate, educate, and inquire so individuals can make informed decisions regarding their participation in these types of activities. Recruiting and training efforts for these roles will be shared soon. Third, Jennifer Rosales, our new senior vice president for community and campus life, is asking faculty from across the institution with relevant academic expertise on topics such as hate speech, social movements, and negotiations to advise senior leadership. We welcome your nomination of a colleague, or yourself, to join this advisory group. 

Building trust, community, and accountability is a shared effort and responsibility. This does not mean we will always agree. In fact, disagreement is a natural part of robust discussion and is necessary for learning and for sharpening our ideas. But our community suffers when one group's point of view crowds out others or has the potential to escalate into hostility or harassment. No one's education should be disrupted. 

We recognize that navigating these differences can be challenging, and we look forward to engaging with you in these important discussions as we work together to uphold Dartmouth's values.

In partnership and community,

Sian Leah Beilock
President

David Kotz '86
Provost

Alexis Abramson
Dean, Thayer School of Engineering

Duane Compton
Dean, Geisel School of Medicine

Jon Kull '88
Dean, Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies

Matthew J. Slaughter
Dean, Tuck School of Business

Elizabeth F. Smith
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences