Dear Dartmouth community,
The new academic year is officially here. To those of you at Dartmouth for the first time: welcome! You are joining a tight-knit community of top scholars who love to teach, dedicated staff, and students who lead both inside and outside the classroom. I had a great time meeting the Class of 2029—a talented group whose varied backgrounds and perspectives will strengthen our community. They are finding their way around campus, as are new Guarini and Thayer students. Students at Tuck and Geisel got a head start and are already off and running.
Beyond this college on the hill, higher education continues to face a challenging and highly polarized environment. Our steadfast commitment to Dartmouth’s academic mission and values—which involves welcoming a broad array of voices, people, and perspectives to campus—has put us in a strong position, as has practicing the skills necessary to navigate difficult conversations with humility and an understanding of our common humanity. But we cannot veer from the clarity of purpose that brought us this far.
I often think of our motto: Vox clamantis in deserto, a voice crying out in the wilderness, to describe how our students, faculty, and staff have modeled the brave voicing of contrary perspectives that allow us all to learn and grow. Case in point: Dartmouth Dialogues’ programs and events had nearly 15,000 people in attendance last year and, in the classroom, our faculty are focused every day on teaching students how to think rather than what to think.
For my part, I will continue to advocate for Dartmouth and the work that American higher education needs to do to fulfill our responsibility to this country and the world. This happens through reflecting on what we as an institution can do better and taking action to protect the fierce independence of higher education. Last spring, for example, Dartmouth participated in several lawsuits challenging new federal policies and filed an amicus brief in the Harvard case in support of the decades-long research partnership between government and academia.
I have also asked my leadership team to continue the town hall meetings begun earlier this year for faculty, staff, students, and alumni on topics important to our mission: academic freedom, Dartmouth’s institutional restraint policy—intended to encourage maximal free expression by faculty, staff, and students—funding for research, and support for the international community that is vital to Dartmouth, to name a few.
Each of you play a role in fulfilling Dartmouth’s mission and maintaining our vibrant community. New and returning students: Remember to go to faculty office hours—including mine. This is the Dartmouth distinction: a community where scholars and students closely engage with one another. Dartmouth is where learning, discovery, and leadership flourish.
I look forward to seeing many of you over lunch at today’s community cookout on the Green.
Best,
Sian Leah Beilock
President