College and Collegiality:
Basic Principles of Social Relationships
and Intellectual Dialogue at Hendrix College
Preamble
Hendrix College intends to create an environment in which all members of this community are both challenged and encouraged to reach the fullness of self-actualization that is implied in our motto, a Greek phrase that is sometimes translated as “Unto the Whole Person.” The kind of community to which we aspire will be committed to creating an atmosphere of support for intellectual growth, personal maturity, cultural sensitivity, and the celebration of diversity. Any orthodoxy or “political correctness”—whether from the left or from the right—which presumes that dissenting views are self-evidently false or considers itself immune to criticism is destructive to the most basic presuppositions of the kind of community that Hendrix College aspires to be—a community of free inquiry that encourages rigorous dialogue in “the free marketplace of ideas” (to borrow a phrase from John Stuart Mill). We are committed to an ongoing conversation that includes vigorous debate and the exploration of new ideas from a wide variety of perspectives.
Among the impediments to the realization of that ideal, few are more serious than a partisan atmosphere in which some contributions to the discussion are suppressed in favor of what is taken to be the wisdom of the majority. Academic freedom is essential to the uninhibited exchange of ideas. For both teachers and students, the pursuit of the Hendrix ideal cannot be successful without freedom to articulate clearly—and to argue rationally and passionately—for views that may be out of the mainstream of campus opinion. Anything that inhibits full and vigorous participation in the Hendrix dialogue by all members of this community constitutes a betrayal of our most fundamental commitments to each other. The very idea of a liberal arts college is jeopardized when the opportunity to participate fully in the academic dialogue is restricted (de facto, if not de jure) to those who embrace certain “privileged” positions. All members of this community must be encouraged to enter the discussion without fear of social ostracism or any other kind of punitive response.
This community cannot realize its own ideals if it fails to provide an “hospitable habitat” for all its members. Behavior or language that delegitimizes dissent or marginalizes those who hold minority opinions strikes at the heart of what Hendrix intends to be about. In particular, ethnic minorities, especially those whose history includes struggles against racist assumptions of cultural inferiority, must be able to find assurance that they are at home here and that their distinctive contributions to the campus-wide conversation are valued. In addition, those whose social and political views fall outside the prevailing consensus at Hendrix must be encouraged to participate in discussions of controversial topics. Ours is a community that deeply values the kinds of interactions that can occur only when a diversity of experiences is respected and a diversity of opinions finds free expression in the marketplace of ideas. The point is not simply that every member is entitled to participate fully in the social and intellectual life of Hendrix College: the entire community is diminished by any behavior that detracts from the atmosphere of open dialogue that is the essence of a liberal arts college.
Freedom of inquiry and self-expression extends to all members of the Hendrix community—students, faculty, and staff. To promote a climate in which full participation by all members of the Hendrix community is not only protected but encouraged, we hereby commit ourselves to the following principles.
Principles of Interaction and Dialogue at Hendrix College
· Hendrix College embraces the view that “Membership in the academic community imposes on students, faculty members, administrators and trustees an obligation to respect the dignity of others, to acknowledge their right to express different opinions, and to foster and defend intellectual honesty, freedom of inquiry and instruction, and free expression…” (AAUP, Policy Documents and Reports, 1995, 107.)
· Behavior that demeans or denigrates any member(s) of the Hendrix community violates the collegiality of this community and is therefore incompatible with the character of the kind of liberal arts college that we aspire to be.
· Verbal abuse—especially when rooted in ethnic or ideological intolerance or in destructive sexual stereotypes—can easily have the effect of inhibiting free inquiry and expression and is, therefore, incompatible with the character of the kind of liberal arts college that we aspire to be.
· At Hendrix College is no room for an orthodoxy from which one may not dissent without running the risk of being stigmatized, marginalized, or ridiculed.
· Intellectual disagreement is never an acceptable justification for disparaging the intelligence or morality of any member of this community.
· Members of the faculty and staff should be proactive in promoting an atmosphere of vigorous debate that assumes the integrity and good faith of all involved and in modeling a kind of academic discourse that combines intellectual rigor with a tone of civility and mutual respect.
· Students are responsible for ensuring that their own behavior adheres to these principles and contributes to an atmosphere in which their peers will be encouraged to do the same.