Fall 2022 Bulletin: Annual Report

The American Academy’s Core Values

Back to table of contents
Share
 

Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences honors excellence and convenes leaders from every field of human endeavor to examine new ideas, address issues of importance to the nation and the world, and work together “to cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.”

As members, staff, and the broader Academy community, we commit to advancing the following values in all aspects of our work.

Advancing the Common Good

  • We consider the impact of our actions on each other and the larger community.
  • We tackle complex issues in pursuit of positive impact even when doing so is challenging.

Upholding Democratic Ideals

  • We create meaningful opportunities for participation.
  • We recognize that we are all part of the Academy community, and we are at our best when we all contribute.

Elevating the Use of Evidence and Knowledge

  • We pursue and encourage the discovery and development of knowledge from many different sources.
  • We use evidence to guide our actions.

Fostering Deliberative Discourse

  • We practice active listening so that we understand and utilize multiple perspectives in our work.
  • We foster an environment of psychological safety so that we can collaborate openly and honestly.

Preserving Independence

  • We actively guard against ideological bias so that we can pursue our mission with integrity, purpose, and humility.
  • We prioritize the credibility of our work, rooted in the Academy’s political nonalignment and independence from other institutional ties or individual agendas.

Embracing Diversity and Inclusivity

  • We build and nurture a community of individuals with diverse backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives, where everyone has an equal opportunity to be heard and to contribute.
  • We actively engage with one another with dignity, compassion, and empathy, valuing diversity in all its forms.

Celebrating Excellence

  • We achieve our best results through collaboration, holding each other accountable, learning from our failures and mistakes, and recognizing our successes large and small.
  • We honor passion, dedication, grit, creativity, and joy as part of the process of pursuing excellence.
Share