On Constitution Day, September 17, America had an opportunity to reflect on the document that secures our freedoms. I had planned to use this holiday to celebrate the founding of Colorado Mountain College’s new Center for Civics Education and Engagement. But recent acts of political violence in our nation have made celebration feel out of place. Instead, this moment calls for clarity — and reassurance — about CMC’s unbending commitment to respectful, dignified dialogue as captured in the principle of free speech, our indispensable right. 

I may be one of the few college presidents who regularly teaches undergraduate courses. This semester, I am teaching American history, which offers endless opportunities to wrestle with our nation’s founding principles and to be inspired by students from our mountain communities. On the first day of class, I told my students that they will not be shielded from unsettling or controversial ideas. Instead, we would examine history as it truly happened: messy, contradictory, inspiring, frustrating, violent, and profoundly human. In exploring all sides of the stories that built America and viewing history through the eyes of those who lived it, the great wisdom of our nation’s founding documents will become evident. 

The students in my class are rising to the challenge. Even in these early weeks of the term, they are engaging deeply, thoughtfully and with respect for ideas that differ from their own. 

The confidence I have in approaching my class with such directness is not rooted in my position as president, but in knowing that leaders across the college share a conviction that freedom of speech and viewpoint diversity are indispensable to CMC’s mission. 

Last year, as violent and antisemitic protests erupted on campuses nationwide, CMC leaders gathered to discuss how our college should respond to such events. We reached a clear conclusion: unlike institutions that feel compelled to weigh in on every public controversy, we would remain politically neutral on matters unrelated to our mission. Representing a vast region of our state — geographically, politically, and economically — we understood that the best position on external political debates is no position at all. In doing so, we reaffirmed a commitment rooted in the Chicago Principles: to protect free expression while refraining from institutional partisanship. 

Like any large organization, we will not always get this perfectly right.  Nevertheless, CMC students can expect to encounter ideas that stretch their thinking, test their assumptions, and prepare them for the complexity of the real world. We welcome speakers and conversations across the spectrum of viewpoints, and we will continue to create opportunities for meaningful dialogue that strengthens, not narrows, understanding and cooperation. 

Though my training is primarily in history and economics, I’ve followed with interest the findings from brain science showing how intellectual growth depends on exposure to diverse perspectives. Research indicates that the brain networks responsible for cognitive flexibility, strategic decision-making, and rational judgment are strengthened when people engage with ideas that challenge their existing views. In short, studying ideas that differ from our current beliefs makes us smarter. 

As president of a college enrolling more than 14,000 students with opinions ranging across the political spectrum, I am responsible for ensuring our graduates leave with degrees of value that result in meaningful careers and economic mobility. I am equally accountable to the taxpayers who support us and expect excellence, productivity, and intellectual openness — not ideological conformity or viewpoint indoctrination. There may be times when my colleagues or I miss the mark, as all humans do, but we will make the necessary corrections.  

In his dissent in a case involving state-regulated speech, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously stated that: “Those who won our independence…believed that freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery and spread of political truth,” and “that it is hazardous to discourage thought, hope and imagination; that fear breeds repression; that repression breeds hate; that hate menaces stable government; that the path of safety lies in the opportunity to discuss freely supposed grievances and proposed remedies.” 

This Constitution Day, while we all mourn recent national tragedies and decide where we go from here, we should not lose sight that the attack in Utah was an assault on American rights, most especially the indispensable right of free speech. Instead of meeting rage and violence with more of the same, we all share a sacred responsibility to promote dignity and humanity, in part through open discourse and the free exchange of ideas. The purpose of CMC’s Center for Civics Education and Engagement is to provide meaningful opportunities for students and neighbors alike to practice civility as we all begin the difficult process of binding our nation’s wounds.

(You can join the CMC Center for Civics Education and Engagement at coloradomtn.edu/civics. It’s free and will keep members of our community informed about civics-themed events, including speakers and workshops.) 

Dr. Matt Gianneschi is the president of Colorado Mountain College.