Dear XXX,
Congratulations on earning a spot in Stanford University’s Class of 2028! This is a time to celebrate the hard work and determination that has brought you to this moment, and also to reflect on the next phase of your education. Amid all the challenging and polarizing issues being discussed in the world right now, you may be wondering what kind of intellectual community you would join at Stanford. And we think it’s important to address it directly.
Stanford is committed to providing its students with a liberal education, meaning it broadens their minds and horizons by exposing them to different fields of study and different ways of thinking. A rigorous liberal education depends on questioning your assumptions and seeing if they hold up. As a member of the Stanford community, you will quickly learn that freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression are core values at Stanford. They drive our core teaching and research missions. Stanford is also a place that values diversity in its broadest sense, which includes diversity of thought.
This means that every member of the Stanford community is accepted and valued for their unique characteristics and ideals. It is precisely the distinct attributes that each member of the community brings to Stanford that, when shared openly and constructively, create a vibrant educational environment in which the search for truth is advanced.
Our founding grant commits the University to “teaching the benefits of liberty governed by law and…the great principles of government arising from man’s unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The “blessings of freedom” are a midpoint between mere license (doing what you want) and conformity (doing what others want you to do). The freedom to think and say what you believe also involves taking responsibility. It requires recognizing the freedom and rights of others and helping to create the conditions that make freedom possible for all here on campus and in our broader society.
Freedom of expression does not include the right to threaten or harass others and prevent them from engaging as equal participants in campus life. But the freedom of expression necessary to fulfill the mission of a university – and for a democracy – requires allowing speech that some may find offensive or wrong. Many of humanity’s greatest advances have come from ideas that offended conventional wisdom and seemed heretical at first. In a university, the remedy for ideas you think are wrong is not to try to silence them but to counter them with better ideas, evidence, and arguments.
As part of your education you should expect, and indeed welcome, disagreement. You will undoubtedly encounter and hear ideas that run counter to your beliefs and values. Stanford’s culture expects and requires that when you address disagreements you respond with respect for the humanity of those with whom you disagree and with an open and curious mind. We aim for an environment where we are tough on ideas, but generous and respectful with each other. Being exposed to the very different views of others will invariably broaden your perspective and may transform some of your beliefs, or at least change your understanding of what they mean and how to defend them.
Your education at Stanford is designed to prepare you for life as a citizen of the communities in which you live. Whether it’s your dorm, your city, or your workplace, and no matter what career path you choose, you should have the skills to interact critically and constructively with those who are different from you.
Guided by the principles outlined above, we are pleased to welcome you and your unique perspective into this culture of free thought, inquiry and expression. We hope you will seriously embrace the amazing opportunities available here.
Best regards,
/s/ Richard Saller, president, and Jenny S. Martinez, provost