Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
Welcome to a new academic year! We are delighted and inspired to have new students, new faculty, and new staff join us for their first semester at Clark, and we are thrilled to see the familiar faces of all those returning to campus this fall. At the same time, we look forward to engaging as new alumni those students who graduated last year.
Over the past two weeks, I have had the pleasure of being part of several welcome events and orientation programs. In each gathering, I underscored what an extraordinarily special community we have at Clark and urged those listening to my remarks to get engaged in this community as fully and quickly as possible. I also touched on what I believe to be a set of values and obligations that, as a collective community, we hold dear — among them mutual respect, supporting one another, and embracing and learning through our differences. How we regard and treat each other is not just a feature of campus life but, I believe, a fundamental part of Clark’s approach to education. The nature of our community has served us well in both good and challenging times, and I am confident it will continue to do so this year.
In addition to extending my best wishes for a successful year ahead, I want to highlight two important recent developments.
In June, I announced a new policy that precludes the University from making official statements in response to social and political events not directly related to Clark. The policy stemmed from the work and report of a task force I appointed last February, made up of faculty, students, staff, and trustees. In their report, which was issued in May, the committee recommended that the Clark administration adopt a policy of “restraint” with respect to public statements, allowing individual members of the Clark community to shape and share their views in an environment free of any undue influence or unintended silencing through a perceived institutional “party line.” This new policy does not make Clark an institution indifferent to difficult or tragic events that happen in the world. Instead, it ensures that responsible free expression at Clark is fostered within the most conducive environment possible.
Related to our approach to education, earlier this month, Clark joined a coalition of college and university presidents committed to educational programs and campus environments that promote civic preparedness. I am excited about this added impetus to advance our pivotal role in preparing students to be engaged citizens. As part of this work, Clark will be introducing several new campus initiatives intended to inspire more meaningful engagement around the democratic principles of critical inquiry, free expression, and civil discourse, and to deepen our collaborations with the Worcester community. This is such important work and is a big part of the promise we make to our students to ensure that they are well-prepared for lives of meaning and purpose.
Through these and other efforts, we will carry out our responsibilities — and privileges — as informed, civic-minded citizens who are motivated to contribute to a society that functions for the benefit of us all. And we will continue to make a difference — here in our own Main South neighborhood and around the world.
We have much to look forward to in the coming months. Thank you for being part of our very special community and for engaging in our work together. Once again, I wish you all a fulfilling and engaging academic year.
Sincerely,
David Fithian ’87
