Dear Members of the HMS Community:
Earlier today you received an email signed by Interim President Alan Garber and all the Harvard school deans, including me, reaffirming our commitment to the University-wide Statement on Rights and Responsibilities.
Previously, HMS adopted a Statement of Mutual Respect and Public Discourse in September 2020 that specifically referenced the School’s mission and community values, which imply certain rights and responsibilities for all who attend and participate in HMS events, gatherings, and demonstrations held publicly, privately, or virtually. Please note that the webpage includes a downloadable Rules of the Road slide that is available for community use.
I encourage you to familiarize yourself with both the University-wide and HMS statements and consider how individually and collectively we can create a community where the vibrant exchange of ideas — through debate, discussion, and disagreement — is valued and realized.
The University and its schools have launched a series of events called Harvard Dialogues designed to enhance our ability to engage in respectful and robust debate. I hope you will check out the list of events and workshops happening through Jan. 26 and consider participating.
Notably, as part of Harvard Dialogues series, the HMS Office for Graduate Education is hosting an in-person workshop, titled Building Capacity for Critical, yet Civil, Discourse in Graduate and Medical Training Environments at HMS. The session is open to all HMS and HSDM doctoral, master’s, medical, and dental students, and will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m. I encourage eligible students to learn more and register to attend. I want to thank Tari Tan, assistant dean for educational scholarship and innovation in the Office for Graduate Education and a lecturer on neurobiology at HMS, for organizing such an important and engaging program. We anticipate more programming in the future that encourages the free exchange of ideas and continues to build a foundation of trust and respect for one another.
Sincerely,
George Q. Daley
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
Harvard University