Chancellor and Provost issue statement on Principles of Community

10.26.11

Dear UC Davis Community Members:

One of the most distinctive features of the University of California, Davis, is our “Principles of Community.” These principles do not constitute a legal document, contract or university policy. They represent the ideals of expression and interaction that we as university citizens seek to uphold. We believe that all of us – new members as well as longstanding members of our community – can be inspired by a careful reading of these principles at http://occr.ucdavis.edu/poc/.

The Principles of Community are not just words on a placard or a webpage. They are lived every day, defining UC Davis as a space of free learning and inquiry, of discovery and personal growth. At their heart, the Principles of Community offer guidance and encouragement toward interactions that are civil and respectful. This is what makes a true community, and now that the academic year has begun, we wish to share a few of our thoughts on the importance of civil discourse, a theme of our campus’s new Civility Project that launches publicly on October 27.

To be sure, we do not underestimate the pressures on the values of courtesy, sensitivity and respect, particularly when they are tested by the exercise of free speech. The exercise of free speech is sacred both to our democracy and our ideals of a great university, and it too is enshrined in our Principles of Community. Yet free speech is bound, as noted there, by considerations of time, manner and place.

In our view, there should be no contradiction between the passion with which someone advances a position or expresses an opinion and his or her respect for others. Especially at a university, “an institution of learning and teaching,” to quote the principles again, we expect to read and hear things that might surprise us, even offend us. It is always important to seek the truth, to be prepared to consider new information and unfamiliar perspectives. It is worth emphasizing, though, that one needs to be as careful in framing and as skeptical in accepting arguments that support one’s own position as in critiquing the arguments of positions that challenge our views and us.

But while arguments and positions might challenge our beliefs and perspectives, even unsettle us, speech that seeks to promote hatred or to degrade individuals or groups is an affront to civility and to the Principles of Community. 

The Principles of Community call for a “climate of justice,” and yet it is in the very name of justice that some of us are most passionate.  Indeed, the same ideal of “justice” might inspire opposing parties fired with what each believes is righteous indignation. Such is the complexity of society and history that the principles themselves acknowledge.

We strongly encourage all members of our community to engage in dialogue rather than confrontation, and to exchange ideas rather than shout slogans. Dialogue and compromise are the pillars of a democracy, while absolutism and insolence are threats to the very freedoms we must work hard to protect.

So, today, we call on all members of our campus community not merely to reflect on the Principles of Community but to be activists in their preservation and support, so that the degree to which they reflect the values we live by becomes ever clearer each day. One simple way to start: after reading (or re-reading) the Principles of Community, challenge yourself to consider how you can promote the ideas of civility, respect and appreciation for diversity in the classroom and workplace, or wherever you find yourself within the campus community.

The Principles of Community

The University of California, Davis, is first and foremost an institution of learning and teaching, committed to serving the needs of society. Our campus community reflects and is a part of a society comprising all races, creeds and social circumstances. The successful conduct of the university's affairs requires that every member of the university community acknowledge and practice the following basic principles:

• We affirm the inherent dignity in all of us, and we strive to maintain a climate of justice marked by respect for each other. We acknowledge that our society carries within it historical and deep-rooted misunderstandings and biases, and therefore we will endeavor to foster mutual understanding among the many parts of our whole.
• We affirm the right of freedom of expression within our community and affirm our commitment to the highest standards of civility and decency towards all. We recognize the right of every individual to think and speak as dictated by personal belief, to express any idea, and to disagree with or counter another's point of view, limited only by university regulations governing time, place and manner. We promote open expression of our individuality and our diversity within the bounds of courtesy, sensitivity and respect.
• We confront and reject all manifestations of discrimination, including those based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, status within or outside the university, or any of the other differences among people which have been excuses for misunderstanding, dissension or hatred. We recognize and cherish the richness contributed to our lives by our diversity. We take pride in our various achievements, and we celebrate our differences.

We recognize that each of us has an obligation to the community of which we have chosen to be a part. We will strive to build a true community of spirit and purpose based on mutual respect and caring.

Best,

Linda P.B. Katehi
Chancellor, UC Davis

Ralph J. Hexter
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor