Free speech and expression this academic year
September 17, 2025 2:22 PM

Dear students, staff, and faculty,

As we continue to navigate challenges on college campuses and around the world, we want to remind you that national and international events will intersect with your experiences on this campus, often with great intensity and gravity. Public universities often do – and should – serve as venues for debate and discourse. As we play our part in that discourse, we must share the expectation that we all have the freedom and security to grow and explore.

Any forms of hate and violence are abhorrent and unacceptable in our community. All community members should feel free to express their viewpoints, identity, and lived experiences. It is incumbent on all of us to come together to oppose antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and all other forms of hate and intolerance. 

All places on our campus should be places where we can be safe, whether they are places of worship, cultural centers, classrooms, or the quad, so that every member of our community is afforded the opportunity to have a transformative and positive experience at our university. We condemn harassment and intimidation of individuals or groups based on their beliefs or identity, including the deliberate targeting of members of our community through doxxing, online trolling and other methods of intimidation. 

Our university was created 158 years ago, founded in part out of the idea that learning and innovation are essential to the progress of our society. Rigorous debate and fearless intellect pioneered the ideas and discoveries that have earned our global reputation for excellence. We understand the world better when the ability to question it is unabridged.

In the actual moments when those commitments to free expression and academic freedom are being exercised, it can be an uncomfortable or unsettling experience. University policies and procedures aim to uphold the campus community’s vigorous support of free expression within a safe environment. 

When conversations are difficult or disagreements are strong, remember that we always have the choice to speak and act with empathy. When we actually listen as opposed to simply waiting our turn to speak, we understand challenging issues in a broader context. When we hear each other, we build trust and increase our capacity for solving problems. Exploring ideas together promotes innovation, strengthens community, and builds a more complete understanding of one another. 

Thank you all for your thoughtfulness and support of each other as we confront the complex and nuanced issues of the world together.

Sincerely,

Charles L. Isbell, Jr.
Chancellor
  
John Coleman
Provost