Building a campus culture of openness and civil discourse in which all people feel valued.
Community, Civility & Free Speech
Dear Members of the BU Community,
Boston University has a foundational commitment to free speech and academic freedom. These principles are central to the open exchange of ideas and are the hallmark of an institution committed to learning and discovery.
BU also has a foundational commitment to welcoming faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds, places, and perspectives. Our commitment to ideas and our broad diversity creates our rich intellectual environment.
This website on Community, Civility & Free Speech is devoted to communicating about the University’s resources, policies, and practices related to free speech and academic freedom; events and demonstrations; campus safety; and how to report instances of bias and harassment. I hope it will serve as an important hub for information for our community.
There is a lot to do to create a community in which each of us can thrive: It requires individuals to commit to regarding one another with dignity and respect. These behaviors cannot be dictated by policies or rules; instead, they rest upon our values, our commitment to discovery, learning, service, and being curious and willing to learn about people and ideas that are different than our own. Know that I will lead with these values in mind, and that I will engage with you in the work to foster civil discourse across our University.
Our mission grounds us in the use of speech for the benefit of one another and society. This website is a starting place. I welcome your feedback and ideas as we work together to create the environment we aspire to have.
