October 1, 2021
The Department of History stands with Beverly Gage in her resignation from the Grand Strategy Program. No faculty member should have their courses or programs under outside surveillance. It is a longstanding principle of academic freedom that donors to university programs do not control or shape the scholarship, curriculum, or classes that their donations support. And they should not select the members of advisory boards, nor should we have advisory boards intended to oversee and regulate our teaching.
We protest the infringement on Professor Gage’s admirable leadership of the Grand Strategy Program. We would like explicit reassurance that the university administration will protect the academic freedom of all faculty members and the integrity of all departments, programs, centers, and institutes on our campus.