Megan McEvoy
Chair, UCLA Academic Senate
Dear Chair McEvoy,
Thank you for sharing the Committee on Academic Freedom’s statement, In Defense of Academic Freedom and the University, and for the Executive Board’s endorsement of its thoughtful reflections. We greatly appreciate the committee’s dedication to upholding the principles that sustain UCLA’s excellence as a public research university.
We fully agree that academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and shared governance are essential to the University’s mission of discovery, learning, and public service. These values have long enabled UCLA to advance knowledge across disciplines and foster open, rigorous, and respectful debate in the pursuit of truth.
We recognize the challenges currently facing higher education, both nationally and globally, and share the committee’s concern for preserving an environment in which faculty, students, and researchers can pursue their scholarly work free from undue interference. UCLA remains committed to these core values and to working collaboratively with the Academic Senate to ensure that they continue to guide our community.
We appreciate the Committee on Academic Freedom’s engagement on these important issues and thank the Academic Senate for its continued partnership in defending and advancing the principles that define the University of California.
Sincerely,
Julio Frenk
Chancellor
Darnell Hunt
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost