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Dear WSU community, Wayne State University is an engine of opportunity, welcoming individuals from every background and supporting all who work, live and study here. We recognize and appreciate the uncertainty that members of our campus community might feel as we continue navigating the recent Executive Orders and Dear Colleague letter. It is important to remember that the U.S. Constitution provides us freedoms that undergird and frame our university work, including the freedoms of speech, association and assembly. Flowing from these protections, federal and state laws recognize the academic freedom university faculty enjoy in teaching and research; that is, our scholarship, research and curricula are the purview of our faculty. In fact, the academic freedom of university faculty, particularly at top-tier public research universities like ours, is the bedrock of our success as a nation. The free exchange of divergent views, the challenging of ideas, the questioning of assumptions, and engaging in ongoing scholarly debate and dialogue – whether popular or not – is the lifeblood of university excellence and societal innovation, and must be protected. We remain committed to our mission and to serving all members of the WSU community to the benefit of our city, region, state and nation. Recently, Wayne State received its first request for certification that the institution does not “operate any programs promoting DEI that violate any applicable federal anti-discrimination laws.” We believe we are compliant with federal and state laws, and university leadership is working to ensure that the language and descriptions of programs and activities convey our non-discriminatory practices. We must make it clear that all are welcome and receive equal opportunity to apply to or participate in the life-changing opportunities that define the WSU experience. This principle of equal opportunity is enshrined in our university's founding document, Michigan Legislative Statute 390.641, Sec. 1: “There is hereby established a state institution of higher education to be located in the industrial area of southeastern Michigan. The institution shall be maintained by the state of Michigan, and its facilities shall be made equally available and upon the same basis to all qualified residents of this state.” We continue to embrace the enduring truths of this founding statute, as they define our history and shape our future as a welcoming university where all can come together in pursuit of transformative education. We appreciate your patience, understanding and collaboration as we continue to carefully interpret, assess and respond to our rapidly changing landscape in ways that allow Wayne State to carry out this mission.
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