A Message from Interim President John L. Junkins
Dear students, faculty and staff:
Throughout time, educational institutions have always been at the forefront of discussions and debates about how societies should advance and progress. Historically, universities have championed freedom of inquiry and welcomed diverse ideas and opinions. At Texas A&M, we aspire to be an academic community where we can engage in debate while maintaining the integrity of our ideals and civility in our daily discourse.
While our university policies are based on enduring principles, it’s important to continually reaffirm our commitment to freedom of speech. We believe an open exchange of ideas is not only the cornerstone of our democracy, it is also at the heart of all intellectual inquiry and discovery. We are very fortunate to have our vice president for student affairs, Dr. Daniel Pugh, leading our daily efforts in this regard.
Recently, we were pleased to learn that Texas A&M received the highest rating for free speech from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). We’re pleased to be among only 54 universities across the nation and the only institution in Texas to earn FIRE's highest, green light rating.
Each year we proudly welcome people from across the state and around the world who enjoy thousands of programs, events and meetings on our campus. Recently, we have noticed a national trend in which groups may invite a speaker who attempts to exploit our commitment to free speech in ways designed to divide us rather than unite us. Even in those moments, we believe that an important part of the educational experience comes from examining and learning from topics considered provocative or controversial.
By reaffirming the importance of free speech and by engaging in an ongoing dialogue, we believe our entire academic community can freely express their ideas and opinions while learning important lessons that will help us all lead lives of service to our communities, our nation and our world.
Sincerely,
John L. Junkins
Interim President
Dear students, faculty and staff:
Throughout time, educational institutions have always been at the forefront of discussions and debates about how societies should advance and progress. Historically, universities have championed freedom of inquiry and welcomed diverse ideas and opinions. At Texas A&M, we aspire to be an academic community where we can engage in debate while maintaining the integrity of our ideals and civility in our daily discourse.
While our university policies are based on enduring principles, it’s important to continually reaffirm our commitment to freedom of speech. We believe an open exchange of ideas is not only the cornerstone of our democracy, it is also at the heart of all intellectual inquiry and discovery. We are very fortunate to have our vice president for student affairs, Dr. Daniel Pugh, leading our daily efforts in this regard.
Recently, we were pleased to learn that Texas A&M received the highest rating for free speech from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). We’re pleased to be among only 54 universities across the nation and the only institution in Texas to earn FIRE's highest, green light rating.
Each year we proudly welcome people from across the state and around the world who enjoy thousands of programs, events and meetings on our campus. Recently, we have noticed a national trend in which groups may invite a speaker who attempts to exploit our commitment to free speech in ways designed to divide us rather than unite us. Even in those moments, we believe that an important part of the educational experience comes from examining and learning from topics considered provocative or controversial.
By reaffirming the importance of free speech and by engaging in an ongoing dialogue, we believe our entire academic community can freely express their ideas and opinions while learning important lessons that will help us all lead lives of service to our communities, our nation and our world.
Sincerely,
John L. Junkins
Interim President