Charge
Institutional neutrality is critical to fostering a campus environment in which academic freedom and academic excellence can thrive. By design, universities are comprised of members from the widest possible array of backgrounds and viewpoints, to a greater degree than perhaps any other institution. When we ensure that all members' views are protected and encouraged, we open new pathways for discovery, innovation, and creativity.
With this in mind, Tulane University senior leadership has adopted the principle of institutional neutrality, as noted in messages to the university community in Fall 2024 and Fall 2025. This means that the university will refrain from taking an official public position on most issues, ensuring that individual members of our community are free to express their own opinions as citizens and scholars. However, institutional neutrality does not restrict leadership from publicly engaging in matters that directly impact our core academic functions.
A number of questions have arisen across the university regarding the practical application of institutional neutrality in different contexts. The charge of this ad-hoc committee of the President’s Commission on Tulane Values will be to identify the questions that need to be answered regarding how neutrality applies to all members of the Tulane community. Additionally, the ad-hoc committee will consult with university leadership as principled neutrality extends throughout the university.
Membership
Doug Harris, Chair
Professor and Chair, Economics, School of Liberal Arts
Rosalind Butler
Chair, Staff Advisory Council
Director of Workplace Excellence and Community Relations, Freeman School of Business
Mike Cunningham, Vice-Chair
Co-Chair, President’s Commission on Tulane Values
Professor, School of Science and Engineering
Associate Provost for Graduate Studies and Research
Mollye Demonsthenidy, Vice-Chair
Co-Chair, President’s Commission on Tulane Values
Dean, Newcomb-Tulane College
Will Ferbos
Administrative Liaison to the Commission on Tulane Values
Vice President for University Relations and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President
Shriya Dev
GAPSA President
Master of Public Health Student, Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Don Gaver
Vice-Chair, University Senate
Professor, School of Science and Engineering
Paulo Goes
Dean, Freeman School of Business
Victor Holtcamp
Associate Professor and Department Chair, School of Liberal Arts
Amelia Manning
Dean, School of Professional Advancement
Heather Marinaro
Vice Chair, Staff Advisory Council
Senior Financial Service Manager, Institutional Planning and Budget
Ambika Prasad
Professor of Practice, School of Professional Advancement
Stacy Seicshnaydre
Professor and Vice Dean, School of Law
