Every now and then a university community needs to be reminded of its mission. That is, not just the specific goals of educating the population and advancing knowledge through research, but the broader idea of contributing to society's values. And so President Nan Keohane's use of her annual faculty address to discuss universities' moral authority was a welcome reminder of how Duke can make a difference in society. As institutions with vast intellectual resources, universities can and should exercise their clout when they see fit.
As Duke's highest spokesperson, Keohane has cautiously and judiciously exercised the University's moral authority. Her stances on major issues in higher education have drawn far less notice than those of, for example, Harvard University President Lawrence Summers or Yale University President Richard Levin.
But that has not always been because Keohane declines to speak out; rather, her stances on issues such as collegiate athletics or early admission have just been less radical. Regardless of whether one agrees with her, Keohane can boast of principled stances on gun control, sweatshop labor issues, gay and lesbian marriages in the Chapel and the status of women at Duke.
For whatever reason, these stances have been few and far between. Some have suggested that, for example, in 1993 when Keohane become only the second woman to head a major research university, her gender prevented her from discussing women's status. The Campaign for Duke, now approaching $2 billion after about six years, surely prevented Keohane from spending time on uses of Duke's moral authority. With the fundraising effort in the home stretch, Keohane's speech to the Academic Council is an encouraging sign that perhaps she is focusing more on speaking out about specific policies.
It was perhaps fitting that Keohane chose to discuss universities' moral authority before the Academic Council on its 40th anniversary. Although many professors generously serve on University and faculty committees, overall faculty involvement in campus dialogue remains shockingly low. The last few years have been marked by issues fundamental to Duke's identity and to higher education in general--intellectual life on campus, the relationship between academics and athletics and races relations, to name just a few. Some professors have spoken out, and even a few council meetings have been devoted to these issues, but the faculty has been largely absent from involved, substantive debate. Whether or not the president intended her speech as a wake-up call to professors, the faculty should assume a more prominent role in campus issues.
In a broader sense, the president's speech should remind all community members about the ability of a university to guide discussion. Keohane set an example for members of the Duke community to reflect on their values and speak out when necessary.
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