Academic Freedom and Administrative Hiring

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for the warm welcome and tremendous enthusiasm that has marked my first two weeks at the University of Minnesota. During this time, I have had the pleasure of meeting with students, faculty and staff, learning more about the incredible impact our University is generating throughout the State of Minnesota and beyond.

I am writing today in response to recent questions I have received about the University’s appointment process for center directors, many of which were specifically focused on the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

First, I would like to reaffirm my strong support for the Center and its ongoing work, which is vitally important in helping our society understand and address the causes, impacts and legacies of the Holocaust, genocides and incidents of mass violence. I am confident that, under the interim leadership of Joe Eggers, the Center will continue without interruption to advance its core concepts of remembrance, responsibility and progress.

I have spoken with a number of colleagues who have expressed concerns about how the director search unfolded. While this situation predates my presidency, this is a critical moment in time for us to provide increased clarity and reach a shared understanding on our policies for hiring administrative positions, while maintaining protections for academic freedom.

We are painfully aware of the national and global challenges to academic freedom, open and unfettered inquiry, and shared governance. Together, we must be vigilant in upholding these core values, which empower our faculty and staff to advance scholarship, going to the heart of a university’s purpose.

As a next step, I have charged our systemwide Chief Academic Officer, Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel Croson, with appointing a diverse, faculty-led committee to review and create a shared understanding of how hiring policies and academic freedom policies intersect.

More broadly, in consultation with faculty, staff and academic leaders, I will be actively exploring opportunities to spark robust conversations about the current landscape surrounding academic freedom and shared governance. To get us started, I have asked Provost Croson to partner with the Faculty Senate on convening a set of symposia and faculty dialogues about the challenges to academic freedom and shared governance nationally.

I am optimistic these two forward-looking actions will help guide a path toward a stronger University ecosystem. I will work with members of the University community so that, together, we can identify additional opportunities to help the U of M effectively uphold its shared core values during these complex times.

As we move ahead, I look forward to our continued engagement on important matters impacting the University.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Cunningham
President