Speeches & Writings

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.

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.

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.

Rejecting complacency, the Stanford community imagines our future.

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.

President Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Provost Persis Drell address how Stanford can best advance both our unwavering commitment to the free expression of ideas and our equally steadfast goal of an inclusive community.

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.

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.

Provost Drell and I want to take the opportunity of a new fall quarter to extend a warm welcome to you, whether for the first time or once again. Yet as we write we are also reminded of the challenges facing some members of our community, with the announcement just hours ago of an updated travel ban affecting visitors to the United States from several countries.

Going to college for the first time is a momentous occasion in the life of any undergraduate. This past week I was thrilled to participate in two of my favorite Stanford traditions that seek to facilitate this transition: Move-In Day and the new undergraduate reception at Hoover House.