The University of Wisconsin released an Institutional and Public Position Statements policy on Friday that clarifies under what circumstances the university will issue such a statement and by whom it will be issued. 

UW defines an institutional public position statement as a statement that is intended or perceived to be on the behalf of the university as an institution and that takes a position on a public controversy, according to the policy. University leaders — including the chancellor, vice chancellors, deans, department chairs — will issue the statement, according to the policy. 

Along with the policy release, UW Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said in a letter to the campus community that recently, university leaders have been asked to make statements on major global or local issues.

“I have written such statements myself, both here at UW–Madison and previously,” Mnookin said. “But I have come to believe that this practice is problematic.”

Mnookin said these public statements could risk the university’s mission of encouraging free and open debates and that some individuals could feel isolated by what is said. 

Mnookin’s letter comes after the pro-Palestinian encampment last April in which members of the campus community protested the war in Gaza and demanded that the university call for a ceasefire. 

In a post on X, Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said the Universities of Wisconsin system also released an interim policy on institutional statements that applies to all system campuses. The policy says that universities will only issue official statements on matters that directly affect the campus community.  

“Additionally, the policy is not intended to apply to faculty and staff expressing personal statements on non-university-owned channels,” Rothman said on X. “Students, faculty and staff are welcome to hold and discuss competing viewpoints without fear of opposing an ‘official’ university position.”