In my first few weeks as Yale’s president, I have appreciated the chance to connect with so many of you. I am especially grateful to the hundreds of people who have responded to the webform I launched, and I look forward to hearing from many more of you in the coming months.
Although I am only beginning to gather your suggestions, one topic has emerged as top of mind for many people in our community: the question of when Yale, as an institution, speaks on issues of the day. This topic also has been central to a national discussion in higher education over the past year. Recognizing that members of our community hold multiple views, I write to announce that I have convened a committee to address the question.
I have asked the committee to examine when the university, or those speaking on its behalf, should comment on matters of public significance, weighing the value that Yale places on engaging with the wider world as well as the university’s commitment to fostering an environment of diverse viewpoints and open dialogue and debate. To be clear, I am not charging the committee with revisiting the vital and robust protection for the free expression of individuals within our diverse community. Rather, the committee’s focus is on the role of Yale itself as a speaker.
The committee is co-chaired by Michael Della Rocca, Sterling Professor of Philosophy, and Cristina Rodríguez, Leighton Homer Surbeck Professor of Law, and its members are listed below:
Charles Ahn, John C. Malone Professor of Applied Physics and Professor of Mechanical Engineering and of Physics
Nita Ahuja, William H. Carmalt Professor of Surgery
Kerwin Charles, Indra K. Nooyi Dean of the School of Management and Frederick W. Beinecke Professor of Economics, Policy, and Management
Jennifer Herdt, Senior Associate Dean and Gilbert L. Stark Professor of Divinity and Professor of Religious Studies
Stephen Pitti, Professor of History, of American Studies, and of Ethnicity, Race, and Migration; Director of the Center for the Study of Race, Indigeneity, and Transnational Migration
The committee will host listening sessions over the next few weeks to solicit feedback from students, faculty, and staff. Information will be posted online. Community members who are not able to attend in person—including alumni—can share their perspectives via a webform, which will be open until the end of the last listening session.
The committee will provide its recommendations to me this semester. I encourage you to take the time to share your thoughts with the committee, and I hope you will continue to send your suggestions to me about the future of our university.
Sincerely,
Maurie
Maurie McInnis
President
Professor of the History of Art
Committee on Institutional Voice
Dear Members of the Yale Community,
In my first few weeks as Yale’s president, I have appreciated the chance to connect with so many of you. I am especially grateful to the hundreds of people who have responded to the webform I launched, and I look forward to hearing from many more of you in the coming months.
Although I am only beginning to gather your suggestions, one topic has emerged as top of mind for many people in our community: the question of when Yale, as an institution, speaks on issues of the day. This topic also has been central to a national discussion in higher education over the past year. Recognizing that members of our community hold multiple views, I write to announce that I have convened a committee to address the question.
I have asked the committee to examine when the university, or those speaking on its behalf, should comment on matters of public significance, weighing the value that Yale places on engaging with the wider world as well as the university’s commitment to fostering an environment of diverse viewpoints and open dialogue and debate. To be clear, I am not charging the committee with revisiting the vital and robust protection for the free expression of individuals within our diverse community. Rather, the committee’s focus is on the role of Yale itself as a speaker.
The committee is co-chaired by Michael Della Rocca, Sterling Professor of Philosophy, and Cristina Rodríguez, Leighton Homer Surbeck Professor of Law, and its members are listed below:
The committee will host listening sessions over the next few weeks to solicit feedback from students, faculty, and staff. Information will be posted online. Community members who are not able to attend in person—including alumni—can share their perspectives via a webform, which will be open until the end of the last listening session.
The committee will provide its recommendations to me this semester. I encourage you to take the time to share your thoughts with the committee, and I hope you will continue to send your suggestions to me about the future of our university.
Sincerely,
Maurie
Maurie McInnis
President
Professor of the History of Art