Universities have a free speech problem, but they won’t admit it – Sister Cities

In Alcoholics Anonymous, the first step to recovery is acknowledging that you have a problem. You can’t get better until you admit you’re not okay.

But our universities won’t do that.

Look no further than the recent report from the Foundation for Individual Rights of Expression (FIRE). In a survey of more than 6,000 faculty members at 55 colleges and universities, FIRE found that a quarter of professors felt unable to speak freely for fear of the backlash from administrators, colleagues and students. And a third of faculty surveyed said they had recently toned down their writing for the same reason.

The reaction of universities? Grilling.

Our entire model is based on the free exchange of ideas. However, when the FIRE report came out, not a single academic institution president said we would not achieve this goal.

Instead, university leaders bit their tongues—as did faculty members—or issued dull statements reaffirming their commitment to open expression and dialogue. Asked for comment on the FIRE report, a Columbia University official said the school “remains committed to the principles of academic freedom and inclusive pluralism that define a great university.”

Really? So why did two-thirds of Columbia FIRE professors surveyed tell us that they occasionally or often felt unable to express their opinions on campus? That doesn’t sound like freedom to me.

Simply put, university faculty are afraid. And there can be no real dialogue – and no real university – if people are afraid to say and write what they think.

“Even as a tenured professor, I feel pressure to hide certain opinions,” said a University of Texas faculty member. “The atmosphere in certain academic units can be cult-like and fascist.”

Another professor said he was afraid to take the FIRE survey for fear of losing his job. In today’s universities, the mere mention of free speech can apparently lead to self-censorship.

As you might suspect, given the preponderance of liberals on university faculties, conservative professors are more reluctant to express their opinions. But if you think this fear is just a right thing, think again.

A faculty member at the University of Illinois Chicago said he wanted to sign a petition supporting a ceasefire in Palestine but feared he would be doxxed – that is, his personal information would be published online – and that the university would not let him defend. And a black professor in the South noted that his state legislature had decided to ban discussions of racism in the classroom, making him afraid to broach the subject with his colleagues.

Dozens of states have sought to restrict the way K-12 and university teachers address race and gender, currently the biggest censorship threat to education. But our universities will be unable to withstand the attack from outside their gates unless they get their own free speech house in order.

Consider diversity, equity and inclusion, a touchstone of campus controversies in recent years. This year, 16 anti-DEI bills have been proposed that threaten to restrict faculty members’ freedom of expression in grant applications and even syllabi. But the university’s culture discourages faculty members from freely and openly discussing DEI, the FIRE report shows.

“You can’t question DEI, argue against DEI, or talk about anything related to DEI,” said a University of Michigan professor. Only people who “undeniably support” it are allowed to comment on DEI, the professor added.

We have not enacted official bans on free speech, which is what state legislatures are trying to accomplish. Instead, we have created a climate that is hostile to it.

“It’s not so much the fear of discipline as the fear of being exiled or blacklisted,” said a Columbia professor. “Everything happens through gossip and agreements.”

You never know what words might get you in trouble or what colleagues might try to burn you. That’s why so many people are afraid to speak out.

So it’s time for our leaders to stand up and speak the clear truth: We believe in the free exchange of ideas, but we have failed to protect it.

Universities should also commit to defending anyone – faculty, students and staff – who feels threatened or intimidated for expressing their opinions. Of course, no one has the right to protect themselves from criticism. But everyone should have the freedom to express their opinions.

At the moment that is not the case. And no one at the top of our institutions is willing to say that out loud. We should have enough courage to acknowledge the fear that lives among us. This is the first step on the road to recovery.

Jonathan Zimmerman teaches education and history at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of “Whose America?” Culture Wars in the Public Schools” and eight other books. He wrote this column for the Chicago Tribune.

Originally published: December 29, 2024 at 9:16am CST