Whenever Dartmouth receives a gift, it makes clear that the work of those supported by the donation is unfettered, and that research and teaching may take whatever directions are academically sound and justified.
By written agreement, Dartmouth, the Arthur L. Irving family, and Irving Oil have affirmed their commitment to the principles of academic freedom. These principles, which lie at the heart of all Dartmouth's academic endeavors, may be summarized as:
The freedom of scholars to pursue subjects of their choice—no matter how controversial their ideas and lines of inquiry may be
Accuracy and objectivity in investigation and analysis, free of political or institutional influence
The freedom of scholars to make their theories and research results public—including publication in the open literature—so their work may be subject to scrutiny by colleagues, others may build on their methods and findings, and society may benefit from their ideas and discoveries