Dartmouth’s Board of Trustees formally endorsed the college’s policies on institutional restraint and freedom of expression during its January 29-31 meeting in Hanover, while also reviewing plans to strengthen six key research areas across campus.
The board voted to support both policies as “foundational to Dartmouth’s educational mission” and essential to “fostering an environment where diverse ideas can be vigorously debated within a community of respect,” according to a college announcement.
Trustees also endorsed language from the Chicago Principles, stating that “it is not the proper role of Dartmouth to attempt to shield individuals from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable, or even deeply offensive.” The board emphasized that concerns about civility cannot justify “closing off discussion of ideas, however offensive or disagreeable those ideas may be to some members of our community.”
President Sian Leah Beilock said Dartmouth’s institutional restraint policy “has served us well in its first year of implementation.” She added that while the policy doesn’t prevent the college from “speaking up for Dartmouth or protecting our mission,” it allows community members to “exercise their right to free speech—including through protest and dissent—without fear that they won’t align with any one top-down institutional position.”
The meeting marked a leadership transition as trustees bid farewell to outgoing chair Elizabeth Cahill Lempres ‘83, Thayer ‘84, and welcomed new chair Gregg Lemkau ‘91, who was elected last March. Lemkau praised Lempres for leaving “a remarkable legacy of leadership that helped to shape a transformational period for Dartmouth.”
Trustees also received updates on the college’s research strategy, with Provost Santiago Schnell emphasizing that “research is core to our mission” because it “attracts internationally competitive teacher-scholars, expands distinctive experiential learning for students, and increases Dartmouth’s impact and reputation nationally and globally.”
Schnell and Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences Nina Pavcnik outlined six strategic research areas where Dartmouth aims to distinguish itself among leading research institutions. The areas were selected from more than a dozen programmatic strengths using criteria including scholarly impact, faculty distinction, PhD programs, external funding, and resilience to federal funding changes.
The six focus areas are Biomolecular Design; Cold Weather, Polar, and Ice Systems; Cultivating Creativity and the Arts; Economy, Democracy, and Security; Neuroscience and Mental Health; and Rural Health and Society.
Schnell noted these represent areas with “potential for step-function increases in international visibility” while being “broad enough to encompass the work of many in our community” and overlapping with “areas of significant student interest.”
The provost clarified that these six areas are “far from the only areas in which faculty are excelling in scholarship, creating knowledge, and forging solutions,” but they will serve as a framework complemented by competitive faculty-driven initiatives.
Board members also celebrated newly promoted and tenured faculty during the three-day meeting, which included discussions on growing Dartmouth’s research strength, its connection to entrepreneurship, and updates from the Tuck School of Business.
The strategic research initiative reflects Dartmouth’s broader effort to enhance opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students while building on existing faculty expertise across campus. The college’s approach emphasizes cross-campus collaboration and aims to position Dartmouth competitively among peer research institutions.
The trustees’ endorsement of free speech principles comes as colleges nationwide grapple with balancing open dialogue and campus civility, with Dartmouth positioning itself as committed to protecting diverse viewpoints while maintaining community respect.
