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Dear CIIS Faculty,
As we enter a season of extraordinary uncertainty nationally and globally, I want to take this opportunity to extend my appreciation and gratitude to each of you. I have heard from many faculty that one of your concerns is assurance that CIIS supports your academic freedom. To this, I reiterate that academic freedom is and will always be a cornerstone at CIIS that protects all faculty, regardless of rank.
Academic freedom is the essence of our intellectual pursuits; this includes what we teach, how we teach, what we study and research, and how we live our lives. CIIS is grounded in integral education where scholarship and pedagogy must remain spaces where ideas can be exchanged freely and respectfully. In fact, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) statement on academic freedom titled "The 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom" is clearly stated as found in the CIIS Faculty Handbook here.
Some of you may be experiencing some emotional discomfort, anxiety or even fear given our political climate and other factors. I am acknowledging and holding these very real feelings with you as we navigate our diverse interests toward a common good. It is my hope and expectation that through dialogue encouraged in the various spaces offered this academic year via the Provost Division and the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, we come together during this time of uncertainty to support one another.
In closing, the foundational essence of CIIS is a university that affirms spirituality, supports innovation, transformation, scholarship, research, academic rigor and creativity - this is why so many of you chose CIIS. Practicing and protecting academic freedom is crucial for the sustainability and advancement of scholarship and knowledge at CIIS. We do this in community just as our founders Dr. Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri encouraged us to do. As we prepare for the months ahead, I hope you will all join me in the idea that when we embrace these challenges together, we emerge stronger collectively with grace and empathy for each other.
Thank you,
Kathy
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Blue Sky Leaders Facilitator Ginny Whitelaw explores why, as AI advances, leaders must balance its intellect with human wisdom.
