On Public Statements & Campus Dialogue

At Ohio Wesleyan University, we value thoughtful and probing questions, deep listening, and energetic dialogue in classrooms and across the campus. It defines the way we learn and the way we teach. As a liberal arts institution, we teach students to research and explore complex issues, to judge the veracity of data, to think deeply and critically, to understand with empathy, to listen keenly, and to express themselves clearly. We are preparing students to work within a vibrant democracy, solving community, national, and global challenges.

Staying Faithful to OWU's Historic Mission

OWU's Statement of Aims declares, "the University defines itself as a community of teachers and students devoted to the free pursuit of truth. Our official policy on academic freedom and free expression states, "Free expression is the right of all members of Ohio Wesleyan to exercise the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, learn, and challenge, whether it is a scholarly argument, political position, personal opinion, or University policy."

This university is exceptional in preparing students to engage in the economic, social, and political life of our nation and our world. Generations of students have upheld OWU's Arneson Pledge to devote a portion of their time "to active and definite participation in public affairs." They carry on the OWU tradition of community engagement.

Public Discourse

OWU alumni regularly engage in public dialogue about crucial issues in their community and in the world at large. Often, they speak with the authority of expertise in their field.

At times, they speak on behalf of the institutions they lead. They may do this when an issue directly impacts their organization – for example, when new or proposed laws could affect their business or industry.

Similarly, faculty members at Ohio Wesleyan – and educational institutions everywhere – often join the public discussion about controversies, issues, and events related to their field of expertise. This is an important part of their own academic mission. We expect our most experienced and learned individuals to inform – and often lead – the public dialogue about complex topics with "the broadest possible latitude."

When faculty take a public stance, however, they are sharing knowledge but not speaking on behalf of Ohio Wesleyan University. 

Who Speaks for Ohio Wesleyan?

The Ohio Wesleyan president, as well as other appropriate officers and administrators, will, at times, speak on behalf of the university as an institution. Considering OWU's 180-plus year history, our widely diverse campus community, and our vast network of some 40,000 alumni, we must be acutely judicious in choosing when to issue statements on behalf of the university. We will join the public dialogue only when our voice adds value to the discourse on issues that directly impact our core mission of teaching, learning, research, and service. "Directly impact" means the issues affect the day-to-day operations of the university or the ability of our students to perform their work.

In these cases, university leaders will determine the proper stance for Ohio Wesleyan based on our mission and the well-being of the university and our students, faculty, and staff. We will determine the most appropriate form of communication, which could include campus emails, news releases, opinion articles, statements on our website, social media posts, and more.

We also will determine the most appropriate person to make the statement. This often will be the president, but university leadership is filled with experts on academic matters, student success, college athletics, and other areas, and it sometimes is more fitting for someone with such expertise to represent Ohio Wesleyan in addressing particular issues and adding value to the public discourse.

When Ohio Wesleyan Stays Silent

Increasingly, students, alumni, and others have called on higher education leadership nationwide to stretch far beyond the scope of issues that directly impact their schools and issue statements on national and global tragedies and injustices, both natural and human-caused.

However, it is inappropriate for Ohio Wesleyan, as an institution, to take a public stance on issues that do not directly affect the core mission of the university.

Why?

First, such issues and events happen far too frequently around the world for OWU leaders to continuously determine which warrant an official statement. As individuals, we should each decide which issues move us most strongly and how we want to respond to them.

More important from the perspective of OWU's mission, expressing such opinions from "the University" or from the Ohio Wesleyan president, could have the adverse effect of stifling voices on campus. Students may fear reprisal for expressing a view that university leaders have told them is "wrong." Others may choose to accept the statements without thinking critically about the issues.

Being told what to think is not the path to understanding.

Instead, when a national or global crisis grips our attention, our goal always is to provide learning opportunities, mentorship, and support. Ohio Wesleyan faculty and staff experts will help lead conversation on our campus using tools such as teach-ins and discussions inside and outside the classroom. We will support students who express themselves through peaceful demonstrations without violence, without property destruction, and without the harassment or intimidation of others. Simultaneously, many of us will focus our energy on caring for students in moments that are important to them and difficult for them. 

That is the Ohio Wesleyan way.