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.