Dear Members of the Yale Community,

In these final weeks of the academic year, our campus has welcomed thousands of admitted and prospective students. It’s a time when new scholars—filled with hopes and dreams for the future—see firsthand everything that makes Yale a wonderful place to learn and call home: a brilliant student body, a renowned faculty, a dedicated staff, and a community where people and ideas can flourish.

For centuries, these qualities have made Yale a model for scholarly excellence and a powerful engine of progress and discovery, touching communities across the nation and around the globe. Our research has saved lives. Our scholarship and teaching have driven human progress and expanded human understanding. Our innovations have kept America competitive and strengthened its standing in the world.

A major driver of this success is our longstanding partnership with the federal government and the support of the American people. For decades, the government and universities have worked together to invest in critical research and foster innovation. It’s hard to overstate the tremendous impact of this collaboration. From lifesaving cancer treatments and antibiotics to touchscreens, GPS, and the very internet you’re using to read this email, federally supported research being done at universities has fueled prosperity and improved quality of life in virtually every aspect of our society.

But none of this progress would have been possible without our fidelity to two fundamental principles: free expression and intellectual freedom. These aren’t just buzzwords. They’re cornerstones of both our campus and our country, and they have helped make American higher education the envy of the world.

So, it’s fitting that at a time of national dialogue about free expression, Yale is marking the fiftieth anniversary of the landmark Woodward Report, which codified our commitment to the free exchange of ideas. This anniversary has given us a chance to reaffirm the importance of free expression to our campus and the world of higher education.

The ideals described in the report are the lifeblood of any community of curiosity and learning dedicated to academic excellence. That’s why I am working with my colleagues throughout higher education and within the Association of American Universities to speak for those values. In addition, I am committed to advocating for other aspects of higher education at every turn—including bolstering support for research and making universities more affordable and accessible. I also am focused on addressing the significant decline in confidence in higher education across partisan divides. Doing so requires all of us to reflect with humility and engage openly with both our critics and our supporters. As I have done throughout my career, I will uphold academic freedom and continue to work in support of an independent higher education sector, which I believe firmly is a strategic asset of our nation.

Of course, I am not in this alone. I know all of you share these commitments. And as we wrap up this term and look toward the next one, I know we will keep working together to advance Yale’s mission and sustain a vibrant intellectual environment, across differences in views and cultures. After all, we are a community, and being part of a community comes with a responsibility to treat each other with dignity and respect, even—and especially—when we disagree. Diverse viewpoints are welcome. Spirited debate is encouraged. But we can have disagreement and debate without disparagement.

We do so, in part, by following the rule of law and university policies. These policies—such as neutral time, place, and manner guidelines—do not favor any particular group or viewpoint. They are designed to maintain the essential functioning of our university and the safety of all our students, faculty, staff, and visitors. We must protect the right of everyone on our campus to study and work free from discrimination, intimidation, or harassment of any kind, on any platform, and we will continue to amend and adjust policies and guidelines to that end.

The last year has not been without its challenges, and the year ahead will surely bring new ones. And yet, I can’t help but feel optimistic. So many of you have engaged with me over the past ten months, offering creative and compelling ideas for how Yale can better fulfill our mission through reflection and continuous improvement, expand our impact, and stay true to our promise of free expression and intellectual freedom. Your thoughtful comments and suggestions have not only supported my work, but they have also informed my discussions with alumni, colleagues, and others across the country—from Dallas and D.C. to Miami and San Francisco.

No matter what the future holds, we will meet it as we always have: as a community. For more than three centuries, Yale has not only weathered but emerged stronger from every storm. We have done so not by letting change or challenge tear us apart, but by coming together to solve problems and keep us moving forward. Our capacity to work together and listen to each other—our sense of shared responsibility and commitment to Yale’s mission—is our greatest asset. It is the light that illuminates our path forward, and it is inextinguishable. I am proud to carry that light with all of you.

Sincerely,

Maurie McInnis
President
Professor of the History of Art