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Dear Stanford community,
My inaugural address in October expressed the hope that our university would focus on its fundamental mission of excellence with integrity in research, education, and clinical care. The following months have witnessed deep divisions in our community over intensely felt and painful issues: deadly wars, ethnic and religious bigotry, climate change, and the limits of free speech. In addition, our tradition in athletics was unsettled by the dissolution last summer of the PAC-12. It has been a challenging year, and yet I am certain that Stanford has the resilience and spirit to confront these challenges as (to quote one major supporter) "the most important university in the world."
Faculty committees have come together to provide recommendations to improve our institutions and policies in pursuit of our mission. Our disagreements have highlighted the need to protect academic freedom in the recognition that an open forum for debate uninhibited by institutional statements is essential to advance knowledge. To be productive that debate should be engaged and respectful. To that end, a set of initiatives has been undertaken, including a letter to newly admitted students about our intellectual culture, training for Resident Assistants to promote social norms in the dorms, and a quarter course in COLLEGE on democratic citizenship. The goal is a culture of civil discourse.
Through the turmoil, the university has continued to excel in its basic mission. New discoveries in each of our seven schools promise to improve the human condition. Stanford has the unique advantage of seven top-ranked schools on the same footprint, able to develop innovative research across disciplinary boundaries. To promote that research the Vice Provost and Dean of Research David Studdert, former Provost John Etchemendy, I, and a number of other university leaders have undertaken initiatives to streamline processes and make additional recommendations to expedite research.
The academic year began with the agreement that Stanford would transfer to the Atlantic Coast Conference next month. This was the best decision available to save Stanford’s great tradition of excellence in athletics, but it will require adjustments on the part of our student-athletes and of faculty and staff. The world of college athletics is still unstable and will require the university to show its exceptional ability to adapt.
The coming academic year will present major challenges: navigating the effects of the terrible tragedies of war, mitigating the biases within our community, and promoting civil discourse during a divisive national election. I am confident that President Levin and Provost Martinez will provide wise leadership. It has been an honor to serve as Stanford’s 12th president, and I am deeply grateful for broad support within the community.
Best wishes,
Richard Saller, President
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