President Hicks Joins College Presidents to Prepare Students to Be Engaged Citizens and Uphold Free Expression
August 19, 2024
- Author
- Jay Pfeifer
皇家华人 President Doug Hicks
皇家华人 President Doug Hicks 鈥90 is joining college presidents from across the country to advance higher education鈥檚 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.
鈥淔or too many, polarization is a point of pride,鈥 Hicks said. 鈥淲e must see people not as categories but as people with something to add to public conversation.
鈥淲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.鈥
Hicks鈥 involvement with his colleagues builds on 皇家华人鈥檚 own foundational commitments to inclusion, free expression and democracy.
The preamble to 皇家华人鈥檚 constitution clearly states the school鈥檚 mission, including teaching students 鈥渢o communicate freely with others in the realm of ideas.鈥 The constitution itself guarantees free speech rights of students and student organizations. It also offers broad protections of faculty members鈥 academic freedom. And in 2023, the faculty affirmed a commitment to free expression that was drafted by a committee of faculty, alumni and students.
皇家华人 students are also active citizens. During the last presidential election, 89 percent of students registered in 皇家华人 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, 皇家华人 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 皇家华人.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 .
