Dear OU Community,
A great public research university must be a place where ideas are freely expressed, difficult questions are welcomed, and differing viewpoints can be openly debated. These freedoms are fundamental to the pursuit of knowledge and discovery, and they are essential to our responsibility to prepare the next generation of informed, thoughtful leaders.
Next week, the University of Oklahoma will mark our sixth annual celebration of Free Speech Week, joining institutions and organizations across the country in recognizing the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. This national observance reminds us of the vital role free expression plays in our democracy and in higher education. These principles are central to who we are as a university, and they are reflected in OU’s adoption of the Chicago Statement on Freedom of Expression.
At a time when differences of opinion can so easily become sources of division across our country, we must remember that the freedom to express our views also comes with the responsibility to respect the rights of others to do the same. We will not always agree, nor should we expect to. At OU, our responsibility is not to tell students what to think, but to teach them how to think. That means ensuring our university remains a place where we can challenge ideas, engage with perspectives different from our own, and learn from those exchanges. That is how we expand our understanding of the world and prepare students to lead beyond our campuses.
Above all, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that OU is a place where free speech flourishes and hate has no home.
In that spirit, I encourage you to take part in this year’s Free Speech Week activities, including our keynote discussion on Thursday, October 22, featuring Georgetown University Law Professor and former National Legal Director of the ACLU David Cole, who will present “Why Free Speech Matters – To Us All.” You can learn more about this and other events at ou.edu/freespeechweek.
Live On, University,
Joseph Harroz, Jr.
President
