Announcing Ad Hoc Committee on Freedom of Expression, Learning, and Community

Friends,

As members of the Haverford community, the Senior Staff and I share your commitment to the right of every student, faculty, and staff member to thrive in an inclusive intellectual learning community. Two of the bedrock elements of our intellectual learning community are freedom of individual expression, whether academic or personal, in a climate of trust, concern, and respect for all – even those with whom we may disagree. These foundational values advance our mission of preparing students for lives of integrity, ambition, and purpose.

During this academic year and in recent years, some members of our community have expressed concerns around the delicate balance between freedom of expression and our shared goal of building community. It is clear that some among us have long felt the weight of self-censorship, while others have expressed themselves in manners that contradict principles we hold dear: of seeing the light in every person and pursuing a life of continuing revelation in the context of a rigorous liberal arts education in which cycles of questioning, listening, discernment, and learning are paramount.

Centering learning as we balance freedom of expression with building community requires our ongoing commitment and concerted attention. One example of how we have clarified our expectations – of ourselves, and our community – around expression is through a new anti-bias policy for the College. This important document attempts to make clear and explicit what might previously have only been sensed and implicit – and, in that, potentially inconsistent or shifting. The new policy underscores a commitment to the free and open exchange of ideas, while making clear the distinction between protected speech, on the one hand, and discrimination, harassment, and/or bias on the other. I am optimistic the policy will provide a helpful set of concepts and standards to support our deeply held values.

Yet I believe we can accomplish still more through a focused commitment to understanding what it means to uphold free expression in a mutually supportive community, centered in learning. To that end, I am chartering an Ad Hoc Committee on Freedom of Expression, Learning, and Community. The “ad hoc” nature of this committee refers to its temporary and time-delimited nature. Its goal will be to identify and strengthen ways in which open expression, critical inquiry, and curiosity can build a community founded upon mutual respect – and, in turn, enrich and reinforce inclusive learning that prepares students for lives of ethical inquiry and leadership. The foundational goal of the ad hoc committee is to find and define the best balance between freedom of expression and seeing the light in each member of our community in service of learning, together and individually.

Today, I am laying out the Committee’s main areas of inquiry, discussing who will serve on the committee, and looking forward to the Committee’s expected output.

Mission

The work of the Committee will define areas of concern, strength, and opportunity in balancing freedom of expression, learning, and community. Upon its findings, the Committee will recommend future action toward a better balance for the full Haverford community. The Committee will:

• identify and assess the relationship between the exercise of expressive freedom and the College's commitment to creating an inclusive intellectual learning community, including but not limited to political speech, and concerns related to antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of bias;
• center the social Honor Code as foundational for students, and by extension, for the Haverford community;
• critically examine existing policies, procedures, and practices related to expression and bias on campus and their impact on Haverford’s mission;
• engage students, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders to understand diverse perspectives on expressive freedom, liberal arts education in an intimate and intellectually rigorous learning community, scholarship, and community-building;
• consider social media’s roles in expressive freedom, learning, and building community, including its divisive and negative roles;
• explore best practices from other institutions and organizations that are successfully fostering expressive freedom in an inclusive community;
• develop consensus recommendation(s) to the president;
• prepare a report that includes: the history of its work; a synopsis of its findings and the key topics and questions explored; recommendation(s) to the president; the rationale for such recommendation(s); and articulation of principles that might guide future considerations of similar issues, should they arise.

Committee Composition

This Committee will represent the entire community. I envision a committee that will include four faculty, three staff, five students, one Board member, one Corporation member, and two additional alums.

I will take responsibility for appointing members of the Committee, and although this is a presidential committee, please know that my role is as convener, not chair or member. Those who have been particularly engaged and thoughtful on these issues are first in my mind for appointment. I welcome your nominations and self-nominations; please email them to me via president [at] haverford.edu no later than Friday, March 8.

The Committee will be supported with administrative assistance.

Anticipated Outputs

In order for this Committee to live up to its promise, it must produce actionable work and keep our community updated at regular intervals. My goal is for the Committee to convene in late March 2024, and I anticipate receiving a final report and recommendations no later than January 2025. During this time the Committee will offer two progress reports to the community.

And Finally

I seek our full community’s continued efforts to balance freedom of expression, learning, and community. I anticipate that many of you who are not serving on the committee will engage in this work through conversations, coursework, projects, and programming. Together, we will see the benefits of our unity extend beyond the creation and implementation of policy and process. The very act of coming together in query and questioning will elevate the broader value of liberal arts education. Given Haverford’s history and place in the educational landscape, I expect our work here will also serve as an example for other institutions of higher learning in the United States.

Sincerely,

Wendy