LSA’s mission is to push the boundaries of what is understood about human experience and the natural world, and to foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world. Achieving this mission is only possible through free and wide-ranging exploration, the cultivation of open-minded curiosity, and the testing of ideas both new and old.
Attacks on scholars for their work are a serious and growing problem across higher education. Faculty who have been targeted, and the leaders who support them, should contact the LSA dean’s office for support.
LSA shares the University of Michigan’s commitment to diversity of thought and freedom of expression and the provost’s support for targeted faculty. We support our faculty and students’ wide-ranging exploration of ideas and pursuit of knowledge, even when those ideas are challenging or controversial. In addition, we support the right of our faculty, staff, and students to engage as private individuals and to exercise free speech in the world outside the campus and classroom.
Exploration has always been the heart of education. It helps us understand who we are and illuminates the world around us. By definition, it must at times challenge the status quo, upend assumptions, and spark debate. This is how knowledge is created and how society advances.
Teaching and conducting research in LSA is a profound privilege and responsibility. We hold ourselves and one another to the highest standards of scholarship, and our faculty and students are among the most capable and talented in the world. As a large and diverse collection of scholars, we do not always agree, but we do share a commitment to rigorous, fearless, and humane engagement with one another and with the vital questions of our—and all—time.
