Dartmouth President Sion Bilock discusses how universities can rebuild public trust by adhering to their core mission of education and knowledge production, adopting institutional neutrality, and fostering open dialogue. She emphasizes the need to correct past failures, such as high costs and low graduation rates, while defending controversial policies like reinstating SAT requirements and avoiding political entanglements.
Summarized by Podsumo
Sion Bilock, a cognitive scientist and former University of Chicago administrator, leads Dartmouth with a focus on institutional neutrality and free expression, ranking the college 35th in free expression.
Bilock defends Dartmouth’s decision to reinstate SAT/ACT requirements, citing data that shows standardized tests are a strong predictor of success for less-resourced students.
She argues that universities must avoid being political footballs, refusing to sign the Trump administration’s compact on campus policies and instead engaging in direct conversations with lawmakers.
Dartmouth has avoided federal civil rights investigations and funding freezes by consistently enforcing rules around protests and promoting civil dialogue, including its ‘Dartmouth Dialogues’ initiative.
Bilock’s research on choking under pressure informs her leadership, advocating for letting go of excessive control to allow automatic processes to function optimally.
"We're not a political organization. We're not a social advocacy organization. We have a very clear mission. And when people trust in that mission, they trust you."
"If the folks across the political spectrum in our country don't see college as a place for them, it means that we have less diversity in thinking and ideas."
"I think the university has stepped away from serving that function and we have to get it back."