Message from Interim Provost Gertler to the Faculty, August 2025

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

A new academic year is always a time of change, and this year brings more change than usual. We have welcomed hundreds of new faculty colleagues and thousands of new students who are beginning their journeys at the University, and we have interim leaders in some key roles, including President and Provost.

Amidst these developments, the mission of the University and our core values are unchanged. We remain defined by our commitment to a vibrant residential learning environment marked by the free and collegial exchange of ideas; to a diverse and collaborative community grounded in honor, integrity, trust, and respect; and to excellence and access for all.

Interim President Mahoney and I recognize that these defining commitments — not only to the free exchange of ideas but also to integrity, respect, and excellence — rest on the bedrock values of academic freedom and freedom of expression. Achieving our mission depends on the freedom of our faculty to pursue lines of inquiry, share results, and teach with intellectual independence. Our dedication to these bedrock values is firm and will not waver.

Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression

Academic freedom is enshrined in section 3.1 of the Faculty Handbook, which endorses the statement on Academic Freedom within the 1940 Statement of the Principles of the American Association of University Professors. As Interim Provost, I have no higher priority than protecting the academic freedom of our faculty and students. As a faculty member, you have the freedom to research and teach courses in your areas of expertise according to the standards of your discipline. Students have the freedom to learn and to challenge ideas as part of their development as scholars and citizens.

The University is also committed to supporting the Constitutional right to free expression of our faculty, staff, and students. UVA’s free speech website provides information about free expression and free inquiry as well as frequently asked questions.

Policies and regulations exist to safeguard these rights. Yet free expression has little value unless we are willing to listen to one another. Realizing the promise of free expression requires that we approach disagreements as opportunities to better understand others’ perspectives, and that we speak in ways that respect the dignity of those with whom we disagree. In the words of the UVA Statement on Free Expression and Free Inquiry, “We act as responsible members of a shared community when we engage as empathetic speakers and generous listeners. We further our common project of academic inquiry with mutual respect and intellectual openness.” In today’s polarized climate, it is especially important that we engage with each other thoughtfully, constructively, and respectfully, and that we model these values for our students.

A Note about the Compliance Review

As you may know, in the spring the University retained outside counsel to review our policies and practices under attorney-client privilege, to ensure that we are in compliance with Title VI, Title VII, and Title IX and to provide recommendations as needed. A comprehensive review in a complex organization like UVA is a substantial undertaking, and the work is proceeding in phases. We will share more information about the scope and process of the attorney-client privileged compliance review in the coming weeks.

Closing Thoughts

UVA has a well-deserved reputation for excellence. We owe this reputation to our faculty’s commitment to pursuing truth, expanding scientific, creative, and intellectual frontiers, cultivating in our students a love of learning, and serving others. Your dedication is evident every day in our classrooms, laboratories, studios, and clinics. I am deeply grateful, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish together in the year ahead.

Brie Gertler

Interim Executive Vice President and Provost