One of the joys of an academic career is the freedom to explore what intrigues us. We have the agency to become experts in the fields of our own choosing, to self-direct our collaborations, discoveries, innovations, and creations and to follow a line of inquiry wherever it leads. We also have the unparalleled privilege to continuously integrate our knowledge and perspectives with those of our students through our partnership with them in teaching and learning, as both instructors and mentors.
As President Cauce noted in her recent communication about expectations and responsibilities of our UW community, our contributions to the mission of our University and thereby the world flow directly from this foundation of academic freedom and free speech. As I suspect is true of many of you, I have chosen this profession because I believe deeply in the importance of these freedoms for the common good and have personally experienced their positive impact through my own education, teaching, research, service and outreach.
We begin a new academic year during a time of significant discord and conflict across the globe and in the midst of an upcoming election. It is my hope that we can draw together to not only protect but also uphold these freedoms as our collective responsibility and to ensure that they are available to all members of our University. I ask each one of us to pursue this responsibility with intentionality throughout our academic activities and particularly in our courses.
In support of this work, I am writing to share a few reminders and resources.
Inclusive Learning Environment
As faculty and instructors, you are the trusted subject matter experts, who embody our educational mission. The ethics of our profession, the Faculty Code (Section 24-33) and federal regulations detail both our rights and responsibilities to ensure an environment that supports learning for all students. These balanced responsibilities also ensure that all learners have access to the same rights in their educational environments. As detailed in the Faculty Code, key components of our responsibilities include:
- respecting the dignity of others
- acknowledging the right to express differing opinions
- presenting the subject matter of our courses as approved by the faculty in their collective responsibility for the curriculum
- evaluating students based on academic performance alone
- refraining from:
- coercion of students to make a particular personal choice as to political action or their own roles in society
- harassment or discrimination
In ensuring these principles, we must be particularly mindful of the positionality of our students even as we engage them as partners in learning. I encourage you to explore the following resources to intentionally and transparently create and maintain an inclusive learning environment:
- Teaching@UW advice on facilitating class conversations
- Faculty Senate workshop on academic freedom and free speech in the classroom
- Civil Discourse in the Classroom
- Tips for Nurturing a Climate of Free Expression and Inclusion
In parallel, we are supporting students to further develop their own skills in dialogue across differences through First Year Programs and LEAD 298C “2024: Dialogue, Disagreement, and Democracy” offered by Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor across our three campuses. Additional information can be found at https://dialogue.uw.edu.
Election
As employees of the state of Washington, we are all bound by the regulations in the Ethics in Public Service Act. Information on our responsibilities can be found on the Internal Audit website and includes restrictions on using state resources:
- To assist a campaign
- To promote or oppose a ballot initiative
- To lobby the state legislature
I encourage you to participate in the many opportunities for learning about elections across our University this fall, many of which will be listed on the Office of the Provost’s website later this week. I especially call your attention to the lecture series “Democracy in Focus: Navigating the 2024 Election” that is co-sponsored by my office and the College of Arts & Sciences, occurring each Tuesday leading up to election day and culminating the week after, the Public Lecture Series sponsored by the Graduate School, and a resource guide developed by the Libraries.
Student Life and the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity will also be offering programming and information for students to support their engagement with the democratic process.
Finally, I want to stress the importance of your own well-being in these challenging times. The Whole U offers many resources to support and promote faculty and staff well-being. I encourage you to not only explore these resources but also prioritize time to care for yourself.
I thank you for all that you do for the University of Washington. Your voice and contributions collectively define our excellence as an institution. Please join me in ensuring that we protect this opportunity for everyone.