Dear Members of the SUNY Oswego Community–
As we begin another academic year at SUNY Oswego, I warmly welcome our students, faculty, and staff—those returning to our community and those joining us for the first time. A new semester brings renewed opportunities to learn from one another, encounter new ideas, ask difficult questions, and grow through the exchange of knowledge and perspectives.
These opportunities are fundamental to a university's purpose. They also depend on our shared commitment to free expression and civil discourse.
At SUNY Oswego, we value an environment where ideas can be expressed, examined, debated, and challenged. We protect the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment and welcome the exchange of diverse viewpoints, including perspectives with which we may strongly disagree. Our commitment to free expression is essential to intellectual inquiry, to the educational experience we create together, to becoming engaged citizens, and to a free and democratic society.
With that freedom comes an opportunity—and a responsibility—to demonstrate what thoughtful engagement looks like. We can listen with curiosity, question assumptions, disagree without diminishing one another, and approach difficult conversations with respect. Civil discourse does not require agreement. Rather, it creates space for us to engage across differences while recognizing the dignity of every member of our community.
SUNY Oswego remains committed to providing a safe, viewpoint-neutral environment for constitutionally protected expression. We apply consistent standards to protect the rights of speakers and participants while supporting the safety and effective functioning of our university.
Our guidelines governing the time, place, and manner of expressive activity help us uphold these principles. They are designed not to limit ideas or viewpoints but to enable expression while minimizing disruption to teaching, learning, university operations, and others' ability to participate fully in campus life.
I encourage every member of our community to become familiar with the university’s policies and guidelines on free expression and expressive activity. A clearer understanding of our rights and responsibilities better prepares us to navigate disagreement constructively and contribute meaningfully to the life of our university.
Higher education is at its best when it opens our minds to possibilities, encourages us to examine our beliefs, and equips us to engage thoughtfully with a complex world. As we begin this semester, I ask each of us to help sustain a SUNY Oswego community where inquiry is welcomed, expression is protected, and differences are explored with openness and mutual respect.
I wish you an engaging, productive, and successful semester.
Remain well,
Peter O. Nwosu, Ph.D.
President