Adopt a policy of complete institutional political neutrality.

Exercise the power of this neutrality by sponsoring quality debate - insisting only that space must be given for all views.

Put the learned faculty on center stage in their natural role of developing an evermore higher quality of the discourse.

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Expel people who break the law. Protests are fine but breaking the law is unacceptable. Bring in a balanced set of speakers who can explain the history and the politics.... 

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University administrators need to: (1) Identify all non-student demonstrators, arrest them for trespassing at least, and have them removed from the campus; and (2) Suspend or expel students who flaunt university policies, depending on the severity of the infraction. 

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Be consistent. No camping means no camping. Take a consistent approach to punishing those who break the rules. To maintain institutional neutrality, you can’t let some violations slide without creating the impression that some points of view are more legitimate than others. Right now, no one believes that protests for an unfashionable cause would be treated with the same restraint that we’re seeing now. Tents should be forcibly removed at sundown. Outsiders should be arrested and prosecuted, and students subjected to the disciplinary process. Laws against covering your face - instituted to fight the Klan - should be enforced. Same goes for anyone - pro-this, anti-that. It should make no difference.

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Stanford should do what it can to stop the incessant association linking pro-Palestinian rights and human rights issues, with claims and accusation of antisemitism.…. Protesting against genocide does not equal antisemitism....

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When I attended Stanford in the 1960s, I led the campus protest movement against the Vietnam War. I was focused on effective persuasion, not venting my anger and causing disruption. Let alone violence. Let me tell that story -- and how it governed my 40 years as a public policy advocate. It explains why the current protests against Israel’s conduct in its war against Hamas have been so completely ineffective. (Full text at our Reader Comments webpage.)

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Put fun back into Stanford's environs.

Reduce the number of administrative staff.

Increase counseling both for mental health as well as post graduation opportunities.

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I believe the U of Chicago President perfectly explains the reason for his ultimate intervention re the campus protests at Chicago, as stated here. The Cliff Notes version: “There is no way I would ever compromise on institutional neutrality.”

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Dissolve DEI. Hold students and faculty accountable for disruption of speeches and other events, particularly when the speakers are invited.

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Immediately arrest and prosecute anyone who intimidates or attempts to intimidate a speaker on campus. Immediately arrest and prosecute anyone who attempts to block, impede, or otherwise detain a speaker on campus.

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They should continue to keep things quiet on campus and unless there is violence, they should not bring in police, which would just escalate matters. They are referring students participating in the tent camp to internal discipline and there should be significant consequences for these students. No matter what Stanford does, some people will be unhappy but it appears they are doing the best they can in a very difficult situation.

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Adopt the Kalven Report's Principles.

End political litmus tests in hiring; end DEI.

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Follow your own rules. Allow speech but do not allow protests that block access to buildings or other public spaces. Do not hesitate to use campus or city policy to enforce rules.

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Aggressively enforce school policies prohibiting disruptions, camping, etc. Students should be suspended/expelled for rules violations, and outsiders arrested and prosecuted.

 

Commit to providing an environment that offers true diversity of ideas so that students are exposed to all sides of important issues -- in other words, commit to principles of free speech, not preferred speech.

 

Immediately sign the Chicago Principles.

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I agree with the [Saller/Martinez] letter. I would add that outside individuals who visit the campus are immediately subject to the rules and regulations of the campus. They will be immediately arrested if they are found to interfere with any function of the University or camping out. I think that all parents or guardians of Stanford students should receive the letter. Students need to be able to freely express their views and the University should hold open meetings in an appropriate venue to air the various sides of the issues.

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Do not resort to violence....

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Students over 18 years old are adults, and they want to be treated as adults. The rules are clearly spelled out -- they know what is allowed (and encouraged), and also what actions are against the Honor Code, [the Fundamental Standard] and [other] university rules. In an adult world, people live with the consequences of their decisions; it should be no different for these campus adults. Certain consequences for first and second violations, and civil or suspension penalties if these are called for. Civil disobedience has known risks, which certain individuals have decided to accept; amnesty shouldn't be an option.

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Most important: A university leader must fully understand the essentials of university governance; i.e., a shared responsibility between and among the principal constituents -- the university administration and trustees, the faculty, and the students. Each has a defined and shared responsibility to ensure integrity of teaching, learning and research. Because they are so integrally intertwined throughout history (i.e., from Oxford University onwards), to fail one of these tasks is to jeopardize all. To wit, a university must be well and prudently managed; it must foster free interchange of ideas; and it must represent the best in extant research efforts.

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Equal application of free speech rights, which includes clarifying how ambiguous statements are going to be interpreted by the administration, e.g. “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

 

Explicit prioritization of competing rights. Free speech rights do not trump the rights to travel freely throughout campus, attend live classes, or enjoy lectures uninterrupted. Educational goals should supersede all other university "functions."

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Do the things that President Saller and Provost Martinez say they will do in their letter of April 26, 2024.

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Extend the message contained in the Letter to Incoming Students [of April 3, 2024] to the entire community, and make it prominent, consistent, and repeated. Otherwise, Stanford could slip back into the practice of saying one thing once, and then ignoring it when later situations arise.

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Unlimited free speech anywhere on campus. No camping, occupying buildings, or disrupting free speech of others by protesting on the site of the speaker. Protests outside of site should be permitted as long as free access to site is not disrupted. Blocking of access ways: streets, sidewalks, building entrances, etc. will be actionable.

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Immediately sign the Chicago Principles.

 

Aggressively enforce school policies prohibiting disruptions, camping, etc. Students should be suspended/expelled for rules violations, and outsiders arrested and prosecuted.

 

Commit to providing an environment that offers true diversity of ideas so that students are exposed to all sides of important issues -- in other words, commit to principles of free speech, not preferred speech.

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End racism by terminating DEI and its 166 administrators. Suspend and/or expel all students or faculty who violate the right to free speech by others. Stop saying you oppose things, but never do anything to enforce the useless words, when not backed up by actions.

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Arrest and identify individuals breaking the law when asked to disperse.

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Immediately suspend any student or Stanford employee who is arrested.

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Follow through with the suspensions, expulsions or terminations (no hollow threats).

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Allow students to say what they think and reduce (not increase) number of administrators. For exact boundaries refer to the Martinez memo. It already covers everything!

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It is clear that the pro-Palestine/pro-Hamas at this time are violating university policy around free speech and that they have been repeatedly warned to stop the encampment.

 

As a sign of good will, what I would do is to offer a last chance to the protesters to stop the encampment if they accept to either bring speakers to campus to defend their ideas or organize a debate between qualified debaters on the issues discussed. And if they agree to this, forego any sanctions.

 

If they insist on violating university policies, I think that the Stanford administration would be justified in doing what the Columbia administration did.

 

What the pro-Hamas / pro-Palestine campers are doing is not free speech. It's intimidation of people who disagree with their point of view, whether it's Jewish students or any other students who don't support the pro-Palestinian cause.

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Free speech is crucial, but it is of limited value if Stanford does not have viewpoint diversity in its faculty nor teach critical thinking skills or the ability to listen to the views of others with whom you disagree. The free speech part of the problem can be addressed with time, place and manner requirements that are enforced. But Stanford and other universities have failed to provide a viewpoint diverse faculty nor to teach the other skills mentioned above.

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The April 26 letter from Saller and Martinez had it exactly right in both content and tone. They and Stanford should continue doing what was outlined in that letter.

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