“This year has been one in which institutions of higher education, particularly, have been on trial. Some have lost trust, and the navigation of political attacks seems far from over. In this time, I have been and am deeply proud of and indebted to the students and faculty, who have animated Vassar with peaceful protest, with written and spoken dissent, with calls for engaged pluralism, and with restorative practices when we hurt each other. Let me underscore: Vassar is committed to engaged pluralism, which asks us all to recognize and embrace the differences among us–keeping dialogue open, learning along the way, and seeking common ground. Our deeply held values of diversity, inclusion, and equity (as written in our mission statement) help us ensure that our educational offerings are open and accessible to every student, which is the law. We do not discriminate based on race, color, or national origin but rather work to hold open all educational opportunities. In fact, part of the critical thinking skills each of you has developed through these last four years is to ask: which voices have been omitted? Why? How does that shape my perspective, and how can we include those voices in the dialogue? For freedom, for justice, for long-term peace–we must continue to ask those questions and do so with epistemic humility, recognizing we never know the full story, we never have the only answer, and staying in conversation is the strongest way forward. I have seen this happen in your class again and again and it gives me immense hope even in these challenging times.”
See more from the 2025Â Vassar College Commencement.
The Vassar College commencement was one of seventy campuses participating in From Campus to Community a new national campaign to champion civil discourse and democratic engagement in this year’s commencement season. More from President Elizabeth Bradley.
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