Search Results for: Kalven report

University of Chicago’s Kalven Report on free speech featured and defended in Wall Street Journal op-ed

All over the U.S., colleges and universities are falling over each other to make flaunt the most virtue by posting official statements about politics and ideology, now about Ukraine and, when that settles down, back to statements about ethnicity and politics. All, that is, except the University of Chicago, which is unique in having a … Continue reading University of Chicago’s Kalven Report on free speech featured and defended in Wall Street Journal op-ed

Princeton University violates the Kalven Report (even though it doesn’t have one)

The article below is from the conservative National Review, but of course if you want to find out what’s going on with colleges and universities, especially vis-à-vis free speech and academic freedom, you have to look at right-wing sources. This is not to imply that the Right doesn’t censor or suppress speech, but since most … Continue reading Princeton University violates the Kalven Report (even though it doesn’t have one)

On University administrators and departments making political, ideological, or moral statements

At the University of Chicago we have a policy, based on the 1967 Kalven Report, that prohibits official units of the university from making moral, political, or ideological statements—unless those statements are about issues that directly affect the mission of the University. This includes university departments. The purpose is to promote freedom of speech by … Continue reading On University administrators and departments making political, ideological, or moral statements

A plea for “institutional neutrality” from Princeton

As I’ve written several times, one of the foundational principles of the University of Chicago—institutional neutrality on political or ideological issues—is embodied in the Kalven Report of 1967. The report, which has become a stated policy of the University, is that no unit of our University, be it the administration, departments, or official units, can … Continue reading A plea for “institutional neutrality” from Princeton

The University of California system issues an official critique of the Dobbs decision, chilling speech of those who disagree

I happen to be one of those who favored the Roe v. Wade decision; in fact, I’d go farther than the judges in that one by extending the term limits for abortion. Ergo, I think that Dobbs was a bad decision and that some way must be found around it. All American women who want … Continue reading The University of California system issues an official critique of the Dobbs decision, chilling speech of those who disagree

Atlantic article on why universities shouldn’t make official political or ideological statements

I swear, maybe I should try writing some of my website posts as articles for magazines, where I could actually get paid.  It’s not that I need the dosh, but getting a check is a special form of love in return for one’s words.  Don’t worry, though, I’ll never monetize this site. The reason I thought … Continue reading Atlantic article on why universities shouldn’t make official political or ideological statements

Latest chilling of speech on campus: UCLA’s Asian American Studies department goes blatantly political on the Palestine/Israel issue

What we have below is a prime example of what a University should not be doing: issuing official statements on strong political, ideological, or moral issues.  In this absurd statement, the Asian American Studies Department at UCLA issued a strong attack on Israel and a defense of Palestine—as an official department statement on the department’s … Continue reading Latest chilling of speech on campus: UCLA’s Asian American Studies department goes blatantly political on the Palestine/Israel issue

Another public university speech kerfuffle: On the defense of liberal but not conservative speech by San Diego State

In an op-ed in the Times of San Diego, we read that a Dean at San Diego State University, a public California college, emitted some pretty inflammatory tweets dissing Republicans and making other extreme political statements. The question is not whether this is a free speech issue (it isn’t, despite what the headline below implies), … Continue reading Another public university speech kerfuffle: On the defense of liberal but not conservative speech by San Diego State

A participant reports on last fall’s Stanford Academic Freedom Conference

Elizabeth Weiss, a professor of anthropology at San José State University in California, wrote a summary of Stanford’s Academic Freedom Conference this fall for Quillette (click headline below to to read). She was not only a reporter and a participant, but also a victim—professionally damaged by those who violated her academic freedom. That’s because she … Continue reading A participant reports on last fall’s Stanford Academic Freedom Conference

Quote of the week: “A university is not a kindergarten. . . “

Yesterday someone called this quote to my attention; it seems to have been made in 1961  [1935; see comment #12 below] by Robert Maynard Hutchins (1899-1977), who became President of the University of Chicago at only 30 and served for 16 years, adding an additional six years as Chancellor. Here’s the Quote of the Week, … Continue reading Quote of the week: “A university is not a kindergarten. . . “