USF leader: Principles of Community guide school
HIGHER LEARNING
This is the time of the year when resolutions are made with the greatest intention of committing to a goal or goals that will bring about an improvement in our professional or personal lives, our organizations, our accomplishments or ourselves.
No matter what the specifics are, these resolutions all target the positives a New Year is anticipated to bring. As we were filled with the optimism for a new beginning in 2021, we witnessed, with shock and sadness, a week that we never expected would occur in this country, challenging each one of us to reflect upon our own values and the importance of respect and support for our colleagues, friends and fellow citizens.
Many words have been shared by national leaders, such as retired Gen. Colin Powell, who promoted courtesy, respect and strength, which he identified as core attributes of human interactions and relationships.
Similarly, Henry Stoever, CEO and president of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, emphasized the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect and asked us to work with our colleagues as strategic thought partners in making decisions. Educators across the country have spoken out to reinforce their institution’s values that guide their mission and underpin their commitment to “use the power of education to end hate and bigotry,” according to California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and to commit to honesty, integrity, inclusion, equity, responsibility, accountability and excellence.
The University of South Florida has promoted civility as an essential element in all of our interactions through the development of our “Principles of Community.” One year ago, USF President Steve Currall appointed a 16-member task force, with representation from faculty, staff and students from all three campuses, to develop such principles for USF that will reinforce a “campus climate of mutual support among faculty, staff and students,” and guide how we treat each other with respect.
It never seemed to be quite the right time to bring these principles to the forefront in an article, but now seems like the perfect time. The preamble to the document reads as follows:
We the students, alumni, faculty, staff, and administrators of the University of South Florida unite as a community to propel the success of “One USF.” We celebrate our accomplishments and respect our complex differences. We commit ourselves to shaping the future in a community that cherishes justice, accessibility, and meaningful participation by all of its members. USF starts with US. In this spirit, we state the following Principles of Community.
The principles affirm “the freedom to explore and peacefully express diverse and even conflicting ideas. This affirmation is a firm commitment of our university to positively shape the future of our region, nation and globe.” The principles propose a combination of values:
Excellence with equity: We affirm the value of excellence. Our essential pursuit of truth and wisdom depends upon fairness and equity. We recognize that individual and collective excellence entails a responsibility to ensure that every member of our community has the opportunity to succeed.
Diversity with inclusion: We affirm the value of diversity, individual dignity, equity and our common humanity. Diversity of lived experiences, thought and values enriches our lives and our whole university community. We seek the intentional inclusion of the broadest possible range of these perspectives essential to a university with local, state, national and global impact.
Freedom with responsibility: We affirm the value of academic freedom and the inherent value of people’s right to express themselves respectfully, freely, safely and with civility. We reject the demeaning acts of bullying, violence, prejudice and discrimination as they undermine the community we aspire to be.
Dialogue with respect: We affirm the value of evidence and seek perspectives to foster productive communication, dialogue and constructive disagreement. We listen respectfully and reject language that demeans any member of the community. We embrace differences by learning through open debate in a spirit of curiosity.
Transparency with accountability: We affirm the value of a clear and transparent working and learning environment that promotes honesty, fairness and trust. We commit our time, talents and resources to building a culture of caring that promotes the integrity of our relationships and the sustainable well-being of the entire community. We are personally responsible, across every level, for treating each other with respect, candor and accountability.
Like states and nations, universities face complex situations that require sensible solutions, and by the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic, financial reductions and intense competition. Our values, as expressed in the Principles, are a tool to guide conduct and decision-making.
They are not only valuable for our university – for any university – but could also guide our nation’s challenges that demand thoughtful and peaceful solutions that capture the public’s trust and are enacted with temperance and common sense.
Karen Holbrook is regional chancellor of the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.