Academic Freedom & Free Speech

There is much written about the conflicts on college campuses south of our border. There have been some controversies in Canada and more are likely, and one suspects that there is not much respect for the concept of "freedom of speech" at Canadian universities. I assume, for example, that there is a long list of people who would not be allowed to give a talk at the campus close by, even if the talk had nothing to do with the current Middle East conflict. 
  In the United States there are some attempts to again allow universities to be  places where ideas are debatable. Six examples of the radical notion that arguments should be allowed are provided below. Keep them in mind since they may be useful for a campus near you. 

Campus Call for Free Expression

  "The Institute for Citizens & Scholars Campus Call for Free Expression is a commitment by a diverse group of college presidents to urgently spotlight, uplift, and re-emphasize the principles of critical inquiry and civic discourse on their campuses. The Campus Call is centered on a coordinated set of presidential and campus activities focused on free expression that collectively amplify higher education’s role in preparing young people to be the empowered citizens our democracy needs."
   Here are a couple of related articles:
"Group Of College Presidents Launches New Campaign In Defense Of Free Speech, Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, Aug. 16, 2023
"The Campus Call is a project of College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, a recent initiative convened by the Institute for Citizens and Scholars. The group ‘brings together college presidents who are committed to addressing the challenge of ensuring today’s young people are well-informed, productively engaged, and committed citizens.”
The College Presidents for Civic Preparedness is a consortium that currently consists of 15 presidents of four-year institutions, most of which are private. The schools include public flagships, Ivy-plus institutions, HBCUs, liberal arts colleges, and faith-based institutions."

"13 Presidents Launch Campus Free Speech Group", By  Josh Moody, 
Inside Higher Ed, Aug. 16, 2023.
"The group—known as the Campus Call for Free Expression—is launching a coordinated effort across their campuses to support free speech, according to a press release from The Institute for Citizens & Scholars and the James L. Knight Foundation. The Institute for Citizens & Scholars, a nonprofit, is the coordinating body while the Knight Foundation is providing $250,000 in funding.The 13 participating institutions are: Benedict College; Claremont McKenna College; Cornell University; DePauw University; Duke University; James Madison University; Rollins College; Rutgers University; University of Notre Dame; University of Pittsburgh; University of Richmond; Wellesley College; and Wesleyan University."

Columbia University - Dialogue Across Difference

"Freedom of expression thrives within a culture of civility and empathy. Dialogue Across Difference (DxD), part of the Values in Action initiative, is designed to foster a resilient and inclusive community of learners among students, faculty, and staff and to engage with diverse perspectives and navigate challenging conversations with a shared commitment to mutual understanding and respect."

Georgetown University - The Free Speech Project

"THE FREE SPEECH PROJECT AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY IS FOUNDED ON THE CORE BELIEF THAT MEANINGFUL EDUCATION AND GREATER CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AROUND THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO DEMOCRACY."
They offer a "Free Speech Tracker" to provide information about current free speech controversies. 

Harvard University - Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard

“A university has two great obligations to society: to foster the discovery and dissemination of knowledge and understanding, and to prepare students for lives of meaning, purpose, and service.”

  Found here is an article about the formation of CAFH: "More than 70 Harvard Faculty Form Council on Academic Freedom, Co-Led by Steven Pinker, Rahem D. Hamid & Elias J. Schisgall, The Harvard Crimson, April 14, 2023

"Pinker and Madras wrote that the group “will encourage the adoption and enforcement of policies that protect academic freedom.”

“When an individual is threatened or slandered for a scholarly opinion, which can be emotionally devastating, we will lend our personal and professional support,” they wrote. “When activists are shouting into an administrator’s ear, we will speak calmly but vigorously into the other one, which will require them to take the reasoned rather than the easy way out.”

Stanford University - Academic Freedom and Free Expression
  Provided are resources related to:

Statement on Academic Freedom

Fundamental Standard for student conduct

Freedom of Speech and the Fundamental Standard

Protected Identity Harm Reporting process

Policy on Campus Disruption

Non-discrimination Policy

Policy for Events Requiring Security or Extraordinary Resources

Student Event Planning Policies

Anti-Doxxing Policy

University of Chicago - Forum For Free Inquiry and Expression

"The Chicago Forum: promotes the understanding, practice, and advancement of free and open discourse at the University of Chicago and beyond."

 

The Bonus: 
   Institutional Neutrality is also a good idea - see the FIRE site where this is written: "A College Should Host Critics - Not Become the Critic Itself."

   The adjacent image is from the Scholars at Risk Network and their mission is "Protecting Scholars and the Freedom to Think, Question and Share Ideas." 

CANCON - The Society For Academic Freedom and Scholarship's goal is "Defending Freedom and Excellence in Teaching and Research."

SAFS began in London.

For related posts on MM see:

"Free Speech & Ontario Universities"
"Cowards in Coventry"
"S.W.I.N.E." (Students Wildly Indignant About Nearly Everything)
"The Dreaded N-Word" 
"Dawkins Not Talklng"