Faculty Assembly Resolution Concerning Non-discrimination Language
Full Description
To the William and Mary Community:
The Faculty Assembly of the College of William and Mary strongly endorses the March 9 statement by
President Taylor Reveley concerning the College's nondiscrimination policies. We are deeply troubled
by the Attorney General's recent attempt to change these policies, particularly those banning discrimination
based on sexual orientation. Non-discrimination policies flow from the fundamental principle of merit-
based judgment that informs every aspect of the work of the Faculty. This principle governs how we teach,
how we appoint and promote, how we conduct our research and scholarship, and how we evaluate each other's
contributions to the College and the wider community. We are irrevocably committed to the ideal that these
judgments must always be based upon the merits of the case, and that they must reflect our integrity as a
community of teachers and scholars. We applaud Governor McDonnell's recent Executive Directive which
we understand as committing his administration to safeguarding similar merit-based principles in the
Commonwealth.
The lack of a clear -- and fully articulated -- commitment to non-discrimination would erode our ability to
attract the very best faculty, staff and students. Without such a commitment to a merit-based ethos, where
individuals are evaluated on their work and accomplishments but no other personal characteristics, the
College has no plausible claim to being a leader among American institutions of higher education.
The Faculty Assembly
March 17, 2010
