Brown U. and Claremont McKenna College Join U. Chicago in Defending Free Speech
It’s about time someone did, right?
The College Fix reports.
Brown University, Claremont McKenna College join U. Chicago in defending of free speech
Two universities have joined the University of Chicago in defending the importance of free speech and of students being exposed to different points of view.
As noted by Reason’s Robby Soave, Claremont McKenna College President Hiram Chodosh and Dean of the Faculty Peter Uvin write that “freedom of speech and diversity of opinion are ‘foundational’” at their school:
We teach sensitive material. We do not mandate trigger warnings. We invite controversial speakers. We accord these rights to our students as well, whether they agree or disagree with faculty, administrators, or one another. …
To benefit fully from the free exchange of challenging ideas, we must ensure that all people with different viewpoints, experiences, and analyses are included in our conversations. We protect the freedom of association as an individual and collective right. We reject exclusion and ad hominem attacks as barriers to learning. All of us—students, faculty, and staff—must commit to high standards of civility, respect, and appreciation for differences. All of us must value and support one another in challenging ourselves to analyze issues from many sides, to develop rigorous tools of intellectual inquiry, and to cultivate the habits of mind of an educated citizen.
Across the country at Brown University, Provost Richard Locke sent a campus-wide email yesterday with the subject heading “Reaffirming Values: Campus Dialogue and Discourse.” In it he says
Central to Brown University’s mission of serving the community, the nation, and the world is our commitment to “discovering, communicating, and preserving knowledge and understanding in a spirit of free inquiry.” In fulfillment of this mission, Brown seeks to ensure a vibrant and rigorous intellectual environment that advances knowledge through teaching, research and engagement across the disciplines, both inside and outside of the classroom. The ongoing quest to deepen our understanding of the world and to identify solutions to society’s most pressing problems demands intense and continuous inquiry, shaping ideas and refining approaches by inviting a range of perspectives and challenges. To these ends, active engagement through dialogue is critical to our progress as a University. …
Brown University, Claremont McKenna College join U. Chicago in defending of free speech (The College Fix)
Comments
The statement from Brown is a bit mushy, but still a surprise. For years I’ve considered Brown to be a PC hellhole, every bit as bad as Wellesley or Arizona State.
Those quotes are pretty soft statements. A statement of policy is not at all the same as enforcing, or even adhering to, that policy.
“We invite controversial speakers” is no guarantee that they will be allowed to speak.
“[W]e must ensure that all people with different viewpoints…are included in our conversations” is a far cry from “no one will be censored in any manner for their viewpoint.”
“[A]ctive engagement through dialogue is critical to our progress as a University” is well short of stating that open, uncensored dialogue is imperative, much less paramount.
The Universities are still frightened of their students.