This Statement was adopted by Harvard Medical School in September 2020 and updated in April 2026, following the work of a committee representing the School’s faculty, staff, trainees, and students.
Harvard Medical School is committed to a diversity of views and to principles of free inquiry and expression, consistent with the HMS Mission Statement and Community Values and University-wide Statement on Rights and Responsibilities. All members of the Harvard community have the right to hold, share, and defend their opinions. Ultimately, HMS seeks not to negate, overlook, or deny the qualities that distinguish us but aspires to understand, recognize, appreciate, and celebrate our differences.
These qualities require HMS to emphasize certain values which are essential to its nature as an academic community. Among these are freedom of speech, freedom of movement, and freedom from personal intimidation, force, and violence. Such rights have boundaries. Certain types of expression are not protected, including but not limited to discriminatory harassment and bullying (as defined by Harvard policies), threats, obscenity, or any incitement to violence.
Interference with any of these freedoms must be regarded as a violation of the personal rights upon which the community is based. These values imply certain rights and responsibilities for all who attend or participate in HMS activities.
General principles
The right to speak and the right to dissent contribute to the value of academic discourse. The speaker is entitled to communicate their message to the audience during their allotted time, and the audience is entitled to hear the message and see the speaker during that time.
Public versus private events
Subject to the University and HMS/HSDM Campus Use Rules, the organizer of an event may propose the venue and whether the event is open to the public, open to members of the Harvard community, or limited to invited or authorized individuals. The sponsoring organization or HMS administration may require attendees to produce identification, so long as the following criteria are met:
- Advance notice is given as to what specific types of ID will be required.
- Identification procedures are enforced consistently and uniformly.
No action should interfere with the audience’s view or prevent the audience from hearing or otherwise paying attention to the speaker. The following are generally permitted, provided they are consistent with and do not violate the Campus Use Rules or other University policies:
- Picketing and distributing of literature
- Silent or symbolic protest
- Responding to the speaker, spontaneously and temporarily
Threatening or using force or violence is never acceptable.
Questions
If you are planning an event and would like guidance or assistance in meeting these guidelines, please contact:
HMS Security: security@hms.harvard.edu
HMS Room Scheduling: room_scheduling@hms.harvard.edu
HMS Office of Communications and External Relations: communications@hms.harvard.edu
Available tools
A slide outlining “rules of the road” and setting the tone for a mutually supportive community is available for download below. We encourage members of the HMS community to display it on the screen at the beginning of your meetings and events.
Download widescreen 16:9 Rules of the Road slide for PowerPoint
Download standard 4:3 Rules of the Road slide for PowerPoint
Slide Text: HMS is a Mutually-Supportive Community: Rules of the Road
- Remember that we are all human — Nobody is perfect, and we are all learning.
- Include everyone in the conversation — Look around and invite others in.
- Words matter — They can hurt and heal, so use them thoughtfully.
- Be respectful when speaking and listening — It’s about the perspective, not the person.
- Empathy is part of understanding — Put yourself in their place.
- Recognize the difference between evidence and opinion — Each is important, but they are not interchangeable.
- Be open-minded — Consider alternatives.
Our community values freedom of speech, even when it is uncomfortable.
A slide with the HMS mission and community values is available on the Mission and Community Values page to download for display at your meetings and events.