(As prepared for delivery)
Good afternoon, and welcome to our first Board of Regents meeting of the new academic year.
We have had an energetic and engaging start to the semester.
This past weekend, we celebrated Parents’ Weekend and welcomed families to campus with events, tailgates, and a resounding football victory. I want to thank Vice Presidents Martino Harmon and Tom Baird, and the hard work of their Student Life and Development teams, for managing everything flawlessly.
On Sunday, I had the opportunity to address thousands of professionals attending the International Economic Development Council annual meeting in Detroit. This was the perfect setting to promote the economic benefits delivered by our university, and to encourage the business community’s support of higher education and how we drive innovation and creativity in cities and states.
I’d like to thank Vice President Chris Kolb for helping to make this talk possible, along with our economic development partner, Ann Arbor SPARK.
I would also like to welcome Dr. David Miller to his first full Board meeting as our executive vice president for medical affairs. David, we’re grateful for your leadership of Michigan Medicine.
The past nine days have been a test of our values as a nation.
The murder of Charlie Kirk is a tragedy that has stirred powerful emotions, many of which are playing out on social media. Sadly, too much of this language—from across the political spectrum, and even from within our own community—has been hateful, cruel, and demeaning.
Make no mistake, neither the university nor I condones violence of any kind. That this shooting occurred on a college campus, where rigorous dialogue should thrive, is profoundly troubling. Violence is never a solution to settling our differences in a society committed to democratic principles and the rule of law.
As an Army officer, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Whether in uniform or in higher education, I have held the First Amendment as sacrosanct: I may disagree with you, but I will forever defend your right to speak out. This is one of those moments of profound disagreement.
Some have called for the dismissal of faculty whose personal social media posts generated significant backlash.
Their views, however disturbing or contrary to our values, are protected by our First Amendment.
In that same spirit, freedom of speech allows us to call out harmful and reckless language. Regrettably, what could have been a teaching moment for faculty members – one to educate students about freedom of expression, respect, and civility – was missed and instead reflected a disturbing side of humanity.
One of my priorities as president is for the nation to Look to Michigan as a model in higher education for civil and robust discourse on critical issues. In that spirit, we will hear shortly about Talking Maize and Blue, a new module designed to help students navigate and respect different viewpoints, as well as manage emotions when confronted with new or uncomfortable ideas.
There have been moments in our university’s history when free speech was tested. At times, we rose to the challenge; at other times, such as during the Red Scare, we failed. We must learn from both.
What matters today is how we move forward. This is a test of our commitments as American citizens and as members of a university community dedicated to the open exchange of ideas.
Whereas many institutions respond to offensive comments with short-term personnel actions, we will instead invest $50 million to accelerate the establishment of a permanent University of Michigan center dedicated to diversity of thought and civil discourse, and opening this spring. This center represents a lasting commitment to broadening our campus culture by providing a forum that welcomes all perspectives and fosters respectful engagement.
We believe in the value of engaging with diverse perspectives and in the power of debate and dialogue to strengthen our community. It is the mission and goal of this center to be the nation’s defining venue for inclusive, respectful, and constructive dialogue.
If we abandon free speech on our campuses, we risk abandoning it for our nation. Silencing voices is anathema to a great university like ours. Our common ground, in pursuit of the common good, must be reasoned discourse and civility. I believe we can—and must—rise to this moment, together, in ways only Michigan can.
