Dear Washington University Community,
Welcome, all, to the 2024-2025 academic year at Washington University in St. Louis. I am especially eager to welcome those students, staff, and faculty who are new to our community, and I hope that our beautiful campus comes to feel like a second home in no time. Among the historic buildings, the verdant gardens, and the vibrant working and living spaces, each of us has an opportunity to discover something new every day.
Discovery is at the heart of what we do. WashU’s mission is to act in service of truth through the formation of leaders, the discovery of knowledge, and the treatment of patients for the betterment of our region, our nation, and our world. With that mission as our north star, we are able to harness our tremendous resources – our faculty, students, and staff, our financial strength, strong local and global partnerships, and a vast and loyal network of alumni and friends – to solve collective problems and build more just and prosperous societies.
Throughout history, institutions of higher education have overcome obstacles that threaten to impede progress or suppress controversial knowledge, from religious opposition to political pressure to social taboos and beyond. And we are certainly living through a period of history that is challenging us all, not just intellectually or philosophically, but on a profoundly-felt, deeply personal level.
As I write to you today, I cannot envision tomorrow’s news. But even as we experience one consequential news cycle after another, and even after a uniquely challenging year on our campus and in American higher education, I believe in our commitment to our mission and to one another. I believe we can resist the polarization that is endemic in our society in order to protect our ability to achieve profound progress on a deeper level. And, as I enter my sixth year as chancellor, I know for certain we will each be deeply challenged in new and unexpected ways. As those challenges come, it is crucial to approach our work with gratitude, humility, connection, and creativity.
I feel immense gratitude for the strong foundation of academic freedom on which this institution stands. And I’m grateful for the intentional work of leaders and donors, past and present, to ensure our community is growing ever more diverse in demographics, in experience, in perspective, and in talent. The privilege of diversity we enjoy at Washington University allows us to consider perspectives and benefit from talent that will shape our work and our world for the better.
These privileges are most meaningful when we approach our work with humility.When Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia as one of the first non-sectarian universities in America, he said, “For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor [are we afraid] to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.”
WashU, too, is a place for discovery and freedom. We don’t come here with all the answers. Our thoughts will be new, and sometimes daring. We will have surprises, missteps, and failures. In a culture of humility – and of uncompromising commitment to physical safety – we can embrace those moments as stepping stones on the path to truth and progress that is longer than our time here.
Perhaps most important to our culture – what makes us WashU – is the way we value our connections with one another. Wherever we come from and whatever reason we had for choosing WashU, so many of us quickly come to realize that our culture of respect, support, and camaraderie is second to none. We listen, encourage, critique with compassion, and collaborate to reach higher than we could alone.
To further foster this environment of mutual understanding and growth, our leaders and experts from across the university have come together to compile our rich set of resources on a new webpage we’re calling “Cultivating Connections.” This platform, which will grow over the course of this year, can help students, faculty, staff, and our local neighbors engage in meaningful learning and constructive discourse across a wide spectrum of cultural, ideological, and societal viewpoints. The opportunity to learn from and with each other across our differences is a rare and valuable asset – one that will serve us well beyond our time on campus.
And finally, approaching our work with creativity is essential. In all aspects of our work, at WashU and beyond, we each will inevitably face limitations. These may include budgetary constraints, time pressures, policy considerations, or lack of authority, or challenges such as technological barriers or experimental dead ends. It’s precisely in navigating these challenges that our creativity becomes most vital. By thinking innovatively within and sometimes beyond our established frameworks, we can continue to push boundaries, overcome obstacles, and make meaningful progress.
As we embark on this new academic year, let’s embrace our challenges as opportunities for innovation, always keeping in mind the broader mission and values that unite us as WashU. I look forward to connecting or reconnecting with you this year in a spirit of gratitude, humility, and creativity. I can’t wait to see what you – what WashU – can do this year. Again, welcome, and my best to each of you as you pursue your potential with us.
Sincerely,
ADM