Updated April 15, 2024
Dr. David Parrott is still with the University of Louisville. He is listed as the Chief of Staff,
Assistant to VP Student Affairs.
(August 11, 2022) How do you define courage, fairness, and an unyielding commitment to higher values? To some, the phrase that best captures these ideals was written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who famously wrote: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” This, according to Dr. David Parrott, the Higher Education Administrator at the University of Louisville, is true tolerance. To Parrott, this type of unyielding compromise – whether during a debate with someone who has different ideologies or when faced with an ethical dilemma – is what lawmaking, policymaking, compliance, commitment, understanding, and diversity in the higher education space are all about.
David Parrott, as a seasoned educator, consultant, administrator, and higher education leader with over 20 years of relevant experience at some of the nation’s leading universities (Texas A&M, UF, UofL), is all too familiar with such issues. Even when there are clear rules and regulations established for how certain topics or issues are to be handled – and even when there is a certain level of social compliance to those rules – handling corner cases can be difficult. Furthermore, the wrong decision can lead to dangerous precedents for others.
For example, Parrott recently made headlines for his optimistic views on tolerance in the face of student protests and counter-protests when he was the Vice President of Student Affairs at the University of Florida (UF).
The case in point: At UF, one group – Young Americans for Freedom, or YAF – hung a banner, which was taken down by another student group. One student was seriously injured in the ensuing confrontation between the two groups. “Did YAF engage in freedom of speech when it hung its banner? Yes,” David Parrott said. “Was taking YAF’s banner an exercise of free speech? No. Would the students who took their banner have been within their rights if they had hung their own banner expressing their differing views? Absolutely.”
Understanding the rules and laws that apply to such cases – and having the legal expertise and foresight to correctly and fairly administer them within the relevant context – takes years of experience and a deep understanding of the law.
David Parrott has taught higher education law at Western Kentucky University, Western Michigan University, Bowling Green State University, Texas A&M University, University of Florida, and the University of Louisville to Masters’ and Doctoral students pursuing Student Affairs and Higher Education Administration degrees. He is also a sought-after consultant on legal issues, student conduct, student affairs management, race relations, and conflict management.
David Parrott earned his Doctorate at the University of Louisville in Educational Psychology. His degree focus was on Student Affairs Administration, and his research focus was on racial identity development. He also has an M.A. in College Student Personnel and a B.S. in Business Management from Western Kentucky University. The breadth and depth of Parrott’s career in student education and administration have helped him hone a unique approach when it comes to student affairs – efforts for which he has received numerous awards and national recognition as a thought leader in the higher education space.
Prior to his arrival at the University of Louisville, David Parrot was at the University of Florida. Before UF, he served as the Executive Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and the Chief of Staff at Texas A&M where he also taught in the Department of Educational Administration.
Parrott said: “We must guard against the stripping of our constitutional right to free speech. We must also find ways to dialogue across our differences. Both are required for a vibrant democracy. That’s why all of us should seek respectfully to engage with people who challenge our views. And we should oppose efforts to silence those with whom we disagree –especially on college and university campuses.”
These are the ideals to which David Parrott repairs as he helms the University of Louisville’s higher education initiatives.
As David Parrott said after the YAF incident: “It is my fondest hope that the students who attempted to take the YAF banner are more aware of the rights of their fellow students and the risks they take when violating another student’s right to freedom of speech, as much as they might oppose the content of that speech. It is also my hope that YAF students understand how speech, while protected, impacts their fellow students.”
Straddling both sides of moral, ethical, and legal issues can be difficult – perhaps more so for young, budding minds with clashing philosophies and differing viewpoints. However, the rules, regulations, processes, and compliance measures drawn up and enforced by experienced veterans and industry thought leaders such as Parrott can be the difference between hostile conflict and constructive debate.
David Parrott said: “As an institution of higher education, we have a special responsibility to promote the free exchange of ideas. This is who we are as a public institution. I believe that allowing all to speak and share viewpoints is who we are as a country.”
Despite a steadfast commitment to these standards, David Parrott says that he has noticed a troubling trend – one in which students say that their speech should be protected while the speech of others that offends them should not be protected. While we all should guard against the stripping away of our constitutional right to free speech, it is just as important to find ways to engage in dialogue about our differences. Both these are required for a thriving and vibrant democracy.
Parrott’s work is to ensure that these ideals are upheld in every aspect of student administration at the University of Louisville. It is what he has done at UF and throughout his career, and his approach to student affairs, conduct, and policymaking are recognized as effective and relevant to the challenges seen in today’s higher education space.
