Free speech and expression this semester
August 22, 2024 1:01 PM

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

Welcome to the new year at Illinois. Whether these are your first days at this university or you are a returning member of our community, we hope the opening of the semester inspires you, energizes you and encourages you to accomplish whatever you seek to accomplish here. This is always an exciting time of year at Illinois.

Our university promises to provide limitless opportunities for anyone driven to pursue their impossible. It is our fundamental mission to foster discovery, launch innovation and expand education. Free speech, expression and academic freedom are essential for our ability to live up to this mission. Rigorous debate and fearless intellect pioneered the ideas and discoveries that have earned our global reputation for excellence. And they are essential elements for the university to continue that legacy. 

As we open the new academic year, we must expect that events of the world will intersect — sometimes with great intensity and gravity — with the lived experiences of those on this campus. Our university and the communities in which we live, study and work will always be focal points for deep debate around many of the most important and contentious matters in our global society. 

In the actual moments when those commitments to free expression and academic freedom are being exercised, it can be an uncomfortable or unsettling experience. The months ahead will very likely bring debate, argument and conflicting perspectives on a range of issues. You may have some experiences that offend you, anger you or make you feel uncomfortable.

Existing university policies and procedures aim to balance the campus community’s vigorous support of free expression within an environment that avoids harassment, maximizes safety and diminishes disruption for all members of the campus community. This summer, the university created a free speech and expression web resource to help everyone quickly find the university’s relevant policies, support resources and answers to some frequently asked questions. Over the summer, a working group also made changes to the Campus Administrative Manual, many of which clarify guidelines already in place. We encourage you to use these resources as you decide how, when and where you add your voice and share your unique perspectives with others here at Illinois this year as part of our vibrant and diverse campus intellectual environment.

When conversations are difficult or disagreements are strong, our hope is that we all try to remember that we always have the choice to speak and act with understanding and empathy. It is through exploring ideas together as a community that we become an even stronger university. Even if we may not all be in agreement, we are all here navigating these times together as members of the Illinois university community.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor
 
John Coleman
Provost