Speeches & Writings

President's Column: Home Grown

True to its roots, Stanford seeks to strengthen community bonds.

President's Column: Why Higher Education Matters

Our success depends on increasing access, fostering openness and serving society.

Notes from the Quad: The long-range planning white papers

President Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Provost Persis Drell announce the release to the university community of 37 white papers summarizing more than 2,800 ideas and proposals submitted in Stanford's long-range planning process.

Notes from the Quad: In memory of Ben Barres, a personal tribute

As we mourn today the loss of our colleague and dear friend Ben Barres, I thought it would be fitting to share a piece that I wrote in tribute to Ben almost a year ago. I was honored to deliver it as an introduction to a symposium held in Ben’s honor on January 12, 2017.

Notes from the Quad: The tax bill and Stanford

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have passed tax reform legislation that now awaits the president's signature. For higher education, the final bill contains mixed news. At Stanford, our attention now turns to addressing the effects of this legislation on our community.

President's Column: Thinking Boldly

Rejecting complacency, the Stanford community imagines our future.

Notes from the Quad: An update on campus historical names

I'm writing to update the campus community on the Advisory Committee on the Use of Historical Names on Campus. I met with the committee on Monday to get an update on its progress. Yesterday, a group of students concerned about the process voiced their views in a campus march, and I met with representatives of the group last evening. I respect their views, and I want to discuss here how we intend to move forward and bring the process to conclusion.

Notes from the Quad: Advancing free speech and inclusion

Like many of you, we have been following what has been going on at other campuses and in our own Stanford community around issues of speech and expression. We have been reflecting on how we at Stanford can advance both our unwavering commitment to the free expression of ideas and our equally steadfast goal of an inclusive community.

Notes from the Quad: Bryce Love

One of the great joys of returning to Stanford has been attending our sporting events and getting to know some of our outstanding student-athletes. These dedicated students are all impressive, and some of the performances this fall have really stood out.

Notes from the Quad: Restarting the conversation

On Wednesday, Persis and I held our first "Conversation with the President and Provost" of the new academic year. We started holding these sessions last year, and we have found them to be great opportunities to hear from a broad mix of students, faculty and staff about issues on their minds.