How we practice community at DePaul

​​Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,

The start of a new academic year serves as an opportunity to reflect on the kind of university community we aspire to be. From election season to global events to questions about higher education itself, we will have plenty to discuss. Sometimes we will agree, and sometimes we won’t. And that’s okay.

Through it all, our Catholic and Vincentian mission will continue to guide us. At DePaul, community is more than a value we share. It is something we practice. We invite you all to become familiar with DePaul’s Guiding Principles for Speech and Free Expression. As we begin this academic year, we ask every member of our community to help put the following commitments into action:

Speak freely. Share ideas, ask difficult questions, and respectfully express your point of view.
Listen generously. Create space for perspectives and experiences that may be different from your own.
Disagree thoughtfully. Challenge ideas while respecting the dignity of the people expressing them.
Demonstrate responsibly. Peaceful protest and demonstration are part of university life. Please read and follow DePaul’s demonstration guidelines, which allow for protest while also ensuring all members of our community can continue to learn, teach, and work.
Keep learning. Question assumptions – including your own – and allow dialogue to deepen your understanding.

Listening generously and disagreeing thoughtfully are at the heart of the work of our Dialogue Collaborative. Throughout the year, the collaborative offers programs and opportunities designed to help you to engage across difference, navigate difficult conversations, and learn from one another. You will soon receive an invitation to participate in our first dialogue of the academic year, which will focus on civic engagement and what it means to vote. We encourage you to participate.

As we begin another year together, we each have a role in creating the community we want DePaul to be. Thank you for bringing your ideas, experiences, and perspectives to our university – and for making room for others to do the same.


Sincerely,

Robert L. Manuel
President