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As our history shows, the university has long championed听free expression, academic freedom and vigorous but civil discourse

There鈥檚 been much talk about 鈥渋ntellectual diversity鈥� in higher education lately; the conversation is not new, and frankly sometimes it gets the story confused. To hear some tell it, university听faculty across the nation are neither intellectually diverse nor intellectually tolerant. But in fact, the faculty are well acquainted with intolerance, and thus value highly a culture of tolerance. Their own personal and political views here鈥攁nd nationwide鈥攈ave been scrutinized for a century.

Even as it faced a range of challenges, our university听has consistently championed free expression, academic freedom and vigorous but civil civic discourse.

In the 1920s, the state Legislature tried to force the University of Colorado to fire Catholic professors. In the 1940s and 鈥�50s, lawmakers and others pressured the university to purge 鈥渃ommunists鈥� and 鈥渟ubversives鈥� from the faculty. In the 鈥�60s, the FBI launched an investigation of a sociology professor because he criticized J. Edgar Hoover during class. In the 1980s and 鈥�90s, a prominent CU political scientist noted that conservatives composed a minority of social-sciences faculty here鈥攁s measured by voting registration鈥攁nd he argued for broader representation.

Against this backdrop, the 精品SM在线影片 hired its first visiting scholar in conservative thought and policy in 2013. The program, supported by private funds, seeks scholars of conservative thought鈥攖hose immersed in the study of, say, the philosophers Edmund Burke and Thomas Aquinas鈥攏ot polemicists or conservative political activists.

The Conservative Thought and Policy Program is part of the Center for Western Civilization, Thought and Policy, which aims to foster research, debate and dialogue on the fundamental issues of our time. Next fall, the center will host a total of four scholars whose political perspectives range from left to right.

The university does not apply political litmus tests in hiring. It does strive to preserve this campus as a safe place for robust and respectful public discourse. Fostering good public discourse advances a liberal-arts education, which promotes superior critical-thinking skills and, ultimately, a healthier democracy.

More than a century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt summed up the rationale for intellectual tolerance and scholarly diversity this way: 鈥淲ide differences of opinion in matters of religious, political, and social belief must exist if conscience and intellect alike are not to be stunted, if there is to be room for healthy growth.鈥澨�

In a different time and place, Mahatma Gandhi made a similar, related point. 鈥淥ur ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.鈥澨鼳s we sway in the winds of political strife, I am proud to serve a university that has long embraced the unifying power of diversity.

James W.C. White is interim dean at the College of Arts and Sciences.
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