University President Sunil Kumar announced Wednesday afternoon that the university will adopt a position of institutional pluralism after nearly a year of considering a position of institutional neutrality. Tufts’ Institutional Neutrality Working Group made its final recommendation to the Board of Trustees, which affirmed the statement in August.
- “In the interest of protecting and encouraging pluralism of viewpoint among its faculty, students, and staff, leaders at the university will refrain from making statements attributable to Tufts as an institution about political or social matters that do not bear directly upon the university’s core teaching, research, and service mission or its corporate responsibilities.”
- “This continues Tufts’ long-standing commitment to free speech, open inquiry, and academic freedom.”
- “It implies neither neutrality nor indifference on the part of Tufts leadership, faculty, staff, or students. Rather, it intends to encourage Tufts community members to speak in their own voices.”
In the working group’s report and rationale for the statement, members justified the use of the term “pluralism,” stating that it allows for the expression of different viewpoints at Tufts, furthering the university’s commitment to free speech.
“The term neutrality, on the other hand, could be interpreted as a directive to quash some speech or mandate other speech in an effort to achieve a perfect balance that, in the give-and-take of the academic world, can never be reached,” the report reads.
Kumar wrote in his email that neither he nor the university will make statements on political and social issues that do not directly affect the Tufts community or the core business of the university.
“University leaders cannot be expected to speak on every local, national or international event that impacts our community,” the report continues. “Yet speaking to one issue while remaining silent on another implies that the former is weightier than the latter.”
The working group stated that the purpose of the university is to provide a space for different viewpoints, allowing students to reach their own opinions.
“The university contributes to forging values in a pluralistic society by providing a protected space within which its faculty share that expertise and students learn to formulate their own positions and develop the deliberative, persuasive, and conciliatory skills crucial to a smoothly-functioning democracy,” the report reads.
The working group recommended that the statement be used as a standard, warning that any rule governing certain kinds of speech could create a formal restraint on free speech. They recommended that the president issue a general standard for Tufts’ leaders to follow the statement of institutional pluralism.
The working group stated that university leaders will still be able to speak on political and social issues in their own name.
“Whether they choose to do so and in what ways must be left to their own judgment,” the report reads. “Our recommended statement simply counsels that they not speak for others without their consent.”
Kumar also shared two new initiatives that the university will undertake to further institutional pluralism. The first is the launch of the Center for Expanding Viewpoints in Higher Education. Professor of Political Science Eitan Hersh will serve as the inaugural director of the center.
“The center will not depend on any school funds,” Kumar wrote. “It has obtained philanthropic funding from several donors across the ideological spectrum who have given wide-ranging gifts, reflecting the pluralism for which we strive.”
Kumar also announced that Tufts has been chosen as one of 11 colleges and universities to participate in Interfaith America’s new program: “From Prejudice to Pluralism: Addressing antisemitism and Islamophobia by building a culture of pluralism.”
“This academic year, a multidisciplinary faculty and staff cohort will engage in a series of conversations on these urgent issues through a framework for pluralism rooted in respect, relationships, and cooperation, with the goal of sharing learnings and next steps for campus engagement in the spring,” he wrote.
