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Expectations for Civil Discourse
This message was sent to all Duke faculty, staff, and students.
To the Duke Community:
As I wrote to you in September, dialogue is essential to this university. The exchange of ideas and sharing of perspectives lie at the heart of everything we do at Duke, and our policies support open expression, including through protest. Our values and academic mission also demand that we engage one another in good faith and with an open mind, even when we disagree. Being part of this community means listening to diverse viewpoints — and expressing our own — thoughtfully and respectfully.
On Tuesday evening, during a campus event featuring the former attorney general of Israel, some members of the Duke community failed to uphold our commitment to civil discourse. Unregistered counter-event organizers repeatedly interrupted the speakers. After being asked to leave, they joined a group outside the building to continue using amplified sound, further disrupting the event and the numerous classes in session nearby. This incident is under investigation, and individuals involved — whether protesters or counter-protesters — may face disciplinary actions in accordance with university policies and standards. As our Pickets, Protests, and Demonstrations policy states, substituting noise for speech and force for reason is a rejection and not an application of academic freedom.
Over the last nine months, the Provost’s Initiative on the Middle East has sponsored numerous events and activities featuring participants from a broad range of backgrounds and opinions. We will continue encouraging students, faculty, and staff to join these wide-ranging and constructive conversations. But disrupting the ability of others to speak, listen, and learn goes against our values and academic mission and will not be tolerated. I encourage everyone to review our university events and activities policies and expect us all to engage each other with respect and care. This is the Duke way.
Sincerely,
Provost
Alfred J. Hooks E '68 Distinguished Professor