Protesters raise their fists in solidarity during a rally on Nov. 4, 2015, at Traditions Plaza on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia calling for the resignation of then University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe. The group organized the rally to draw attention to race relations on MU campus.

(John Happel/Missourian via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

As the University of Missouri System president and MU interim chancellor, it is my responsibility to support the mission of the university. Lively, passionate discussion with the campus community is an important part of the decision-making process and the lifeblood of a healthy university community. In that spirit, recent events have compelled me to elaborate on the topic of our commitment to free speech.

Soon after I came on board in March 2017, the UM System and the four universities approved the commitment to freedom of expression. In January 2020, I also established the Intellectual Pluralism and Freedom of Expression Task Force. I stated in the charge that, in many ways, universities have been reactive when it is perceived that diverse views are unwelcome or free speech is curtailed. We want to be proactive to address these perceptions to establish new programs and training.

Personally, I have always been available to have discussions in person, by phone, Zoom or email with all members of our campus communities. During the past four months at Mizzou, there have been more meetings with faculty, staff, students, administrators, parents, legislators, alumni and community members on the important matters of budget, pandemic and race relations than in recent memory.

Some of this invaluable feedback has resulted in actions we will take immediately, such as requiring cultural competency training, developing a new bias hotline, providing promotion and tenure workshops, and finding safe ways to reopen the campus in the fall. Some of my decisions are received with great enthusiasm by our stakeholders, but others are less popular. I have not and will not make decisions based on popular consensus. It is an inevitable part of this role to take into account factors that many are not aware of and are not always able to come to light for reasons of legality, policy, privacy and myriad other situations. Regardless, I accept the criticism that results from unpopular decisions.

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Mun Choi: Free speech is the University of Missouri's lifeblood - STLtoday.com