Bucknell University President Brian Mitchell released a statement in the wake of the recent “hunting terrorists” controversy:

Over the past week, there have been references on the Internet regarding recent communications between my office and the Bucknell University Conservatives Club (BUCC).

I want to take this opportunity to clear the air. My hope is that we — my office, the BUCC, the College Democrats and others — may learn from this situation and work toward a common goal of preserving free speech on campus and fostering greater awareness and understanding of the different political and ideological perspectives of our students that help make Bucknell one of the greatest educational experiences in America.

I admire the passion the BUCC has demonstrated to stand up for what they believe is right. The President’s Office supports the BUCC’s ability to do so, as demonstrated by our commitment to and partial sponsorship of events such as John Stossel’s 2004 visit to Bucknell. I have invited leaders of the BUCC and the College Democrats to my home and to my office to learn more about their concerns. I have taken action to respond to these concerns, promoting greater diversity of speakers, viewpoints and opinions on campus. In my short time as president, we have invited and hosted Senator Rick Santorum and Governor Ed Rendell on Bucknell’s campus.

While we will continue to make great strides to preserve the free exchange of ideas at Bucknell, it is also our duty to create an environment in which all responsible positions and opinions can be heard.

There has never been a speech code on this campus, and there will not be one under my leadership at Bucknell. But as our alumni, our parents, our faculty and students can appreciate, my office must strive to achieve a balance to make sure everyone’s voice can be heard in an intelligent, thoughtful and respectful manner. There will be times when this will be difficult to accomplish and there will be times when my office will be put in impossible situations to try to achieve this balance, but it is something we must and will work at and try to accomplish.

I regret that some of the actions of everyone involved in this most recent situation involving the BUCC, myself included, have brought us to an unfortunate point where we are all pointing fingers and not focusing on the real issue at hand. I want to learn from the past, not rehash it or assess blame because of something someone said or did that brought us to where we are today. I want us all to look inside ourselves and find the courage to move forward, not backward, to gain something positive from this experience.

To this end, here is my pledge:

I will continue to promote the allowance and expression of all points of view at Bucknell. That is my promise. We have made some headway since I arrived at Bucknell, but there is always more that can be done. There will be times when those representing different perspectives will disagree with certain decisions I and my administration make, and we want to hear from you when you feel that is the case. I will work with everyone - trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, and friends of Bucknell - to promote greater tolerance of these viewpoints to ensure students and their opinions will be treated fairly, responsibly and respectfully. But let’s not turn Bucknell into a lightning rod for political discourse on Internet sites and in the media. Let’s work together for the common and future good of Bucknell. There will always be a tolerable, if not agreeable, solution to any situation we face if we put our collective minds and our hearts to it. Let’s make this happen, so that future students, parents and alumni can be proud of the school I am proud to call home.

Note: No online source for this statement exists. It was e-mailed to me directly by President Mitchell.