Public Statements

A Message to the Community

December 4, 2017

Tags Public Statements

I write to address issues of serious concern to every member of the Hamilton community. Recently, Professor Paul Gottfried appeared as a guest speaker in two classes, one dealing with modern conservative politics and the other with European history. A number of students protested outside the classes in which he spoke.

In the aftermath of his visit, the Government Department issued a statement. The statement noted "multiple complaints from students about racist remarks allegedly made by Gottfried" during his appearance in class and went on to "unequivocally condemn any and all such racist remarks, written or spoken." Members of Student Assembly also issued a statement condemning any expression of racist views but defending Mr. Gottfried's right to speak on campus.

Gottfried's appearance on campus and the reactions to it provide an occasion to revisit some of the principles and values important to our community. I start with ones on which I hope we can all agree.

First, we are a community that values all its members. We want and need to foster a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive environment. We have made considerable progress on this in recent years and we are better and stronger for it, even though we still have much more to do.

Racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, and all other forms of bigotry are anathema to our core values. Claims of racial hierarchy based on spurious notions of genetics are scientifically bankrupt and morally repugnant. I understand, intellectually, morally, and viscerally, the anger and pain members of our community experience when faced with such claims, particularly in the current political climate and historical context.

Racism on campus imposes particular burdens on faculty, students, and staff of color, who must deal with assaults on their dignity and humanity and at the same time are called upon disproportionately to support and advise other members of the community.

Second, we are a community that insists upon academic rigor. That means, among other things, that we should not invite speakers to address subjects on which they have little or no relevant expertise or who espouse views that have no grounding in reason or fact.

Third, as an academic institution, the free and open exchange of ideas is central to our mission.

These principles are clear in the abstract, but their application in particular cases may be less clear. We have dozens, if not hundreds, of invited speakers every year. We do not have, nor should we have, a central authority that decides who may or may not speak on campus.

Special considerations apply when a speaker is invited to a class, in which attendance is expected. Consistent with principles of academic freedom, faculty have—and should have—wide latitude on how to structure their classes, what readings they assign, and what speakers they invite. It is essential that all members of our community exercise good judgment when making such decisions and be mindful of the impact of their choices on the broader community.

On occasion, members of our community will disagree sharply with and criticize the decision to invite a particular speaker. That, too, is part of the freedom that all of us share.

As president, I am mindful of the need to ensure that faculty members, when making decisions about their research or teaching, retain the autonomy and freedom essential to their role in academic life. I am also committed, as a matter of deep personal conviction as well as institutional values, to promoting an environment that fosters diversity and inclusion and supports and respects all members of our community.

In the days ahead, I will be meeting with members of Academic Council, department chairs, and others to discuss how best to pursue these goals.