HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — President Joe Biden’s education chief praised Dartmouth College’s culture Wednesday for encouraging diverse perspectives and giving students a voice as a way to navigate difficult topics like the the Israel-Hamas war.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona came to Dartmouth for a conversation billed as a chance to discuss with students the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia on college campuses with students. But the small group, which included Muslim and Jewish students, rarely spoke about that, and instead, many highlighted examples of campus life where differences were mostly aired in a civil way without conflict.
“This is what we need to see across the country,” Cardona told The Associated Press after the discussion, “We heard from students there were disagreements in how things were rolled out. But it was done civilly,” he continued. “To me, that just reinforces the fact that culture matters. Culture matters. Student voice matters and freedom of speech and safe campuses are not mutually exclusive.”