Audience members expecting to hear a summary of President Ruth Simmons' recent efforts to promote the University's capital campaign may have been surprised last night when they sat down for her second annual presidential address.
Though she briefly recapped some of Brown's recent initiatives, Simmons spent most of her speech addressing civil discourse and intellectual diversity on campus, a concern she described as "equal to that of how buildings are maintained, how the campus expands and how our various programs are funded."
The issue "goes to the heart of what we are as a university," she said.
Last year, Simmons took advantage of her first presidential address to outline specific projects related to the Plan for Academic Enrichment, citing plans to expand faculty hiring, improve University facilities and take steps toward instituting need-blind financial aid.
This year, Simmons' comments addressed the ideological side of the University's mission, as she outlined ways in which students can promote civil discourse and foster an "open campus where we feel free to pursue any avenue of inquiry that is vital to our understanding."
Simmons urged students to actively engage in debate, thereby discouraging an environment where ideas go unchallenged and certain moral and political views dominate campus discourse.
In addition, she challenged the notion of an "entrenched liberal bias at Brown," encouraging students to "enter the fray" and vocalize their many different opinions.
Simmons said her decision to address intellectual diversity resulted from conversations she had with parents, alums and other University supporters while traveling the country promoting the capital campaign during the past two months.
Dean of the College Paul Armstrong said he agrees a lack of diversity of opinion on campus "is a concern that many have."
Undergraduate Council of Students President Joel Payne said the focus of Simmons' speech may have materialized out of recent discussions she had with student leaders.
"In our conversations, we had tried to express our concerns about a growing attitude of intolerance" on campus, Payne said.
The increased attention to issues of University discourse may also reflect the timing of the speech in relation to Simmons' current position at Brown, Payne said.
"We've been focusing on improving the infrastructure, planning and services" administrators provide to the Brown community in the past few years, he said. "Now she's been able to reflect upon some of the campus climate issues as well."
The memory of recent inflammatory incidents on campus - such as a hate crime last spring that sparked a student-led campaign critiquing administrators' handling of disciplinary infractions - may have also inspired Simmons' comments, Payne said.
Armstrong said Simmons' shift from concrete to more ideological efforts to improve Brown highlighted the dual responsibilities inherent in her role as leader of the University.
While she must operate as an effective chief executive and fundraiser, Simmons must also advance the University's profile by being an educator and "spokesperson for our vision and ideals," Armstrong said.
Simmons' remarks expanded on themes she addressed in her 2001 convocation speech - her "first important address" as president, according to David Greene, vice president for campus life and student services.
Thus, last night's talk does not represent a change in priorities so much as a reiteration of some of the broader themes she hopes will characterize her presidency, Greene said. These themes include the "need to hear discordant notes" when debating any issue, he said.
While resistance toward unpopular views is certainly an issue on campus, Greene said he has witnessed "some very strong student voices" during his time at Brown. There is often a "real variety of opinion" over many issues, he added.
Armstrong, who also teaches courses in the Department of English, said debates in his classroom often involve "a lot of intellectual conflict."
Christopher McAuliffe '05, president of the College Republicans, said it is "an empirical fact" that many students and faculty "gravitate toward the left."
But "if there is such a thing as a bias ... that would be more in the form of institutional barriers that have been set up on campus over the past few decades," he said. McAuliffe cited as an example the Third World Center, an organization he described as having "a very explicit political aim."
While the speech was framed in a manner that emphasized academic discussions, Simmons' comments also pertain to more "mundane interactions" at Brown, Greene said. Her messages of respect and tolerance can also be viewed in the context of poor treatment toward dining hall employees and student workers, which was a growing concern for administrators last semester, he said.
The address came as the University is accepting applications for the Brown University Community Council, an organization Simmons said she hopes will provide "a standing platform for the debate of issues of importance to our community." The council will include students, faculty, alumni and staff members.
The formation of the council underscores a concerted effort on behalf of Simmons "to make that other side heard," Payne said. "You can't have a debate if one side is dominating the airwaves."
