The twofold mission of a university is to produce knowledge and to educate the next generation, and both of these elements depend on the open exchange of ideas. Yet in recent years university campuses have shown a narrowing of the range of ideas under discussion, as well as a hostility to points of view that might help students, faculty, and the broader public understand society’s most pressing problems. Too often, campus debate falls silent.
Through the Ordered Liberty Project, WashU aims to promote an intellectual environment characterized by free speech, freedom of thought, and a robust engagement with varied perspectives and ideas.
Free expression is a core tenet both of our nation and of this university. I aspire for WashU to become known both as a training ground for thoughtful leaders who can engage with people from a wide range of perspectives and as a site of productive scholarly dialogue not only across disciplines but also across ideological differences.
Andrew D. Martin, Chancellor
