Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
A group of University of Chicago alumni is in the process of forming a “Free speech alliance”, and you can sign up for emails even if you’re not an alum. There will eventually be a formal group of alumni that will discuss free-speech matters at the U of C and, importantly, interact with the University … Continue reading A University of Chicago Free Speech Alliance
Here we have a back-and-forth in The Chronicle of Higher Education between two professors at Portland State University (“PSU”; a public college). The first piece is by Jennifer Ruth, a professor of film studies, and the second by Peter Boghossian, a philosopher, anti-woke writer, atheist, and one of the three people involved in the “Grievance … Continue reading Is social-media criticism by professors bullying and a violation of academic freedom?
Although the University of Chicago is renowned for its Principles of Free Expression, as well as as its other foundational principles, a number of faculty were concerned about the lack of both formal enforcement procedures for these principles as well as a faculty-designed body to promulgate them. In my view, three of the Principles are … Continue reading The University of Chicago initiates an ongoing Forum for Free Expression
Inside Higher Ed has announced that the presidents of 13 American universities have started an alliance to promote free speech at their schools. About time, if you ask me! Every school, private or public, should have a free-speech policy that abides by the First Amendment, and also abide by Chicago’s Kalven policy of institutional neutrality except … Continue reading Free speech alliance announced by 13 college presidents
The other day I mentioned that the University of Chicago had launched a wide-ranging and faculty-run forum for free expression (called simply “The Chicago Forum”), which is far more extensive than similar monitoring bodies at other universities. Unfortunately, I completely forgot about the online and live launch events on Thursday and Friday. Fortunately, my friend … Continue reading Guest post: report on the launch of the University of Chicago’s Forum for free expression
Kendall Clements is a biologist at New Zealand’s Auckland University who works on the evolution of fish. He was also a signer of the “Listener Letter,” in which seven Auckland Uni professors (two now deceased), published an article in a popular magazine arguing that mātauranga Māori (MM), or Māori “ways of knowing”, while of educational … Continue reading One of New Zealand’s “Satanic Seven” describes efforts to create a free speech policy at the University of Auckland
Steve Pinker has published his remedy for Harvard’s woes in today’s Boston Globe; he outlined these to me last week over a beer, but I didn’t feel at liberty to divulge what he said he was writing about. Now I can. But the fricking Globe is completely paywalled, so I had to go to our … Continue reading Steve Pinker’s Fivefold Way: How Harvard can save itself
According to the New York Times, Barnard College is in a big kerfuffle involving free speech, institutional neutrality, and academic freedom. The problem is that they’re conflating them all, so the campus is full of stress and argument that, with some good will, could be avoided. Here I proffer a simple solution to the College’s … Continue reading Confusion at Barnard about free speech, institutional neutrality, and academic freedom
