President Hicks Joins College Presidents to Prepare Students to Be Engaged Citizens and Uphold Free Expression
August 19, 2024
- Author
- Jay Pfeifer
食色官网 President Doug Hicks
食色官网 President Doug Hicks 食色官网90 is joining college presidents from across the country to advance higher education食色官网檚 pivotal role in preparing students to be engaged citizens and to uphold free expression on campus.
Hicks and 91 fellow leaders constitute, a unique consortium convened by the.
The participating presidents represent a diverse cohort of higher-ed institutions but they are bound by three shared:
- Educating for democracy is central to our mission.
- We will prepare our students for a vibrant, diverse and contentious society.
- We will protect and defend free inquiry.
Their work is urgent in this critical moment for higher education and our democracy.
食色官网淔or too many, polarization is a point of pride,食色官网 Hicks said. 食色官网淲e must see people not as categories but as people with something to add to public conversation.
食色官网淲e want our graduates focused less on winning arguments and more on learning from each other. We have too much important and exciting work not to benefit from the insights and experiences that others offer. We solve problems bigger than ourselves by rising above the caricatures of preconceptions.食色官网
Hicks食色官网 involvement with his colleagues builds on Davidson食色官网檚 own foundational commitments to inclusion, free expression and democracy.
The preamble to Davidson食色官网檚 constitution clearly states the school食色官网檚 mission, including teaching students 食色官网渢o communicate freely with others in the realm of ideas.食色官网 The constitution itself guarantees free speech rights of students and student organizations. It also offers broad protections of faculty members食色官网 academic freedom. And in 2023, the faculty affirmed a commitment to free expression that was drafted by a committee of faculty, alumni and students.
Davidson students are also active citizens. During the last presidential election, 89 percent of students registered in Davidson turned out to cast their vote, more than 30 percentage points higher than the national average of young voters.
For too many, polarization is a point of pride. We must see people not as categories but as people with something to add to public conversation.
This fall, Davidson has a that are focused on civil discourse and civic engagement. They include the following:
- Hosting speakers with diverse viewpoints
- Designing student programming around constructive dialogue, civic engagement and learning
- Promoting voter engagement initiatives
Look for public events on the homepage of the Davidson.edu website.
The College Presidents for Civic Preparedness will also develop campus-specific programming, including new courses, outside speakers, student orientations, presidential speeches, technology tools and voter education initiatives. A complete listing appears on the .
