(2019). Discourse within University Presidents' Responses to Racism: Revealing Patterns of Power and Privilege. Teachers College Record, v121 n6. Background: Recent incidents of racism at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) have gained increased national attention. The backlash to individuals speaking out against racialized practices is often masked through discourse that dismisses the adverse effects of racism. Because university administrators often center their responses to incidents of racism on upholding free speech, scholars should analyze the ways that administrators' responses might reinforce the existence of such racist behaviors and affect marginalized students. Purpose and Research Questions: Rather than placing the burden on students to disrupt institutionalized racism, the author critically analyzed the discourse administrators utilized in their responses to understand the role of power in language. The following research questions informed the study: (a) what are the various characteristics of the discourse of university administrators as they respond to incidents of racism? and (b) how do university… [Direct]
(2021). Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Teach, Freedom to Learn: The Crisis of Higher Education in the Post-Truth Era. Educational Philosophy and Theory, v53 n11 p1057-1062. With increasing influence of illiberalism, freedom should not be considered or interpreted lightly. Post-truth contexts provide grounds for alt-right movements to capture and pervert notions of freedom of speech, making universities battlefields of politicised emotions and expressions (Peters et al., 2019). In societies facing these pressures around the world, academic freedom has never been challenged as much as it is today (Gibbs, 2019). As Peters and colleagues note (2019), conceptualisations of 'facts' and 'evidences' are politically, socially, and epistemically reconstructed in post-truth contexts. At the same time, with intelligence commodified, reified or marginalised, freedom of speech and of mobility can entail fights for entitlements, or escapes from local responsibilities (Calitz, 2018; Lo, 2019). The decline and corruptions of democratic free speech and academic freedom, or the absence of forces to defend them, are thus serious challenges. These challenges grow as the… [Direct]
(2021). Humanizing Campus Discourse: Teaching Humanization to Facilitate Student Development in a Polarized World. Journal of Student Affairs, New York University, v17 p86-94. Freedom of speech and civil discourse in higher education are crucial to the personal and academic development of students. This essay begins with a brief overview of the protected status of freedom of speech, and the connection to civil discourse in higher education. Then, the issue of growing divisiveness in American society is examined, and how this 1) spills into college campuses and poisons the usage of free speech, 2) adversely affects the marginalization of students, and 3) leads to a "chilling effect" (students inhibiting their own self-expression) and other types of censorship on college campuses — all of which negatively impact the capability to have a culture of robust and healthy student civil discourse. The essay then briefly introduces the practice of intergroup dialogue (guided conversations to increase mutual understanding between social groups) and touches on its use as an aid for students to come together over divides. Finally, questions are posed… [PDF]
(2021). Ethics in Higher Education: Promoting Equity and Inclusion through Case-Based Inquiry. Higher Education Policy. Harvard Education Press In this thought-provoking volume, editors Rebecca M. Taylor and Ashley Floyd Kuntz invite readers to explore the many facets of on-campus ethical dilemmas and the careful, nuanced decision-making processes required to address them. Taylor and Kuntz demonstrate how to apply collaborative, multidisciplinary, philosophical inquiry to deeply complex issues. They present seven normative case studies focusing on a variety of campus quandaries, from urgent matters such as Title IX violations and free speech in social media policy to long-simmering concerns such as admissions and access and the future of historically Black colleges and universities. The editors then bring together a diverse group of scholars and practitioners with a broad array of disciplinary and personal backgrounds to offer their commentary and insight on the cases. Leaders in higher education are under immense pressure to respond to campus crises quickly, to quell controversy, and to avoid the backlash of public scrutiny… [Direct]
(2015). What Does C-51 Mean for Academic Freedom & Campus Free Speech? CAUT Analysis of Bill C-51. Canadian Association of University Teachers Bill C-51, the Canadian federal government's "Anti-Terrorism Act," has sparked serious concerns about the potential impact on the basic civil liberties of all Canadians. The proposed legislation would establish criminal offences that infringe upon the right to free expression. Security agencies would be granted unprecedented and intrusive powers to monitor and share information about Canadians, with no commensurate increase in oversight or accountability. While much of the focus of the debate has rightly centred on the infringements on civil liberties generally, there are also specific concerns about the impact of the legislation on academic freedom and free speech on university and college campuses. The following are appended: (1) Excerpts from Bill C-51; and (2) Iacobucci Inquiry–October 2008 and O'Connor Commission (Maher Arar)–September 2006…. [PDF]
(2018). Becoming the Rolling Quads: Disability Politics at the University of California, Berkeley, in the 1960s. History of Education Quarterly, v58 n4 p506-536 Nov. Historical analyses of 1960s university campus activism have focused on activities related to the civil rights movement, Free Speech Movement, and opposition to the Vietnam War. This study supplements the historiography of civil disobedience and political activity on college campuses during that tumultuous era with an account of the initiation of the disability rights movement with the Rolling Quads, a group of disabled student activists at the University of California, Berkeley. This small group, with little political experience and limited connections to campus and community activists, organized to combat the paternalistic managerial practices of the university and the California Department of Rehabilitation. Drawing from the philosophy and strategies of the seething political culture of 1969 Berkeley, the Rolling Quads formed an activist cell that expanded within less than a decade into the most influential disability rights organization in the country…. [Direct]
(2018). Do North Carolina Students Have Freedom of Speech? A Review of Campus Speech Codes, 2018. James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal This report examines the speech and assembly protections for students and faculty members at North Carolina's universities, both public and private. It is a follow-up to the 2010 report, "Do North Carolina Students Have Freedom of Speech? A Review of Campus Speech Codes." In the eight years since the publication of that report, North Carolina colleges and universities have made remarkable progress in their protection of First Amendment rights on campus. This report is a collaborative project of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). It uses FIRE's speech code rating system to evaluate policies and regulations affecting students' and professors' free speech rights at North Carolina universities. [For "Do North Carolina Students Have Freedom of Speech? A Review of Campus Speech Codes," see ED535446.]… [PDF]
(2020). Academic Freedom and the Challenge of Diversity: Upholding Two Core Values Essential to the Pursuit of the Common Good. Liberal Education, v106 n3 Fall. Academic freedom is undoubtedly a core value of higher education, but should it sometimes be compromised in order to accommodate efforts to tackle the many considerable challenges of the twenty-first century, from fighting climate change and global pandemics to reckoning with the stubborn legacies of institutional racism? More specifically, can American colleges and universities sustain their commitment to serving a more diverse student body, recruited from all classes and ethnic groups and increasingly from around the world, and still rigorously uphold academic freedom? This article concludes that it is easy to defend academic freedom and free speech when everyone is saying pretty much the same things. But diverse communities give voice to diverse experiences, diverse assumptions, and diverse needs. And with diversity comes disagreement. In the wake of sometimes disruptive protest movements against institutional racism and in the context of the country's political polarization,… [Direct]
(2024). Taking Seriously Campus Debates Surrounding Invited Speakers: Open-Mindedness and the Ethics of Inquiry in Higher Education. Teachers College Record, v126 n3 p86-109. Context: College campuses in the United States are currently engaged in public and ongoing negotiation of the value and limits of free speech in educational contexts. Responses to invited campus speakers from students, faculty, and campus leaders point to diverging perspectives on the roles and responsibilities of higher education institutions and their members as communities of inquiry. Considering these perspectives raises questions about the epistemic aims of colleges and universities. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to investigate perspectives on the ethics of inquiry and on the value and demands of open-mindedness in higher education. Specifically, I examined one case of an invited campus speaker who sparked considerable debate–Charles Murray's invited talk at Middlebury College in 2017. Research Design: This study employs the methods of empirically engaged philosophy, a philosophical approach to inquiry that engages with empirical evidence in considering educational… [Direct]
(2016). Can Academic Freedom Be Justified? Reflections on the Arguments of Robert Post and Stanley Fish. Higher Education Quarterly, v70 n2 p108-126 Apr. It is widely recognised that academic freedom is currently under threat. But there is also considerable dispute about the meaning of the term. In this paper I examine two recent and important accounts of the nature of academic freedom that seek to distinguish it clearly from free speech. Such a distinction is, in my view, essential. The aim of the paper is to clarify and resolve differences between these two accounts, and thereby to develop further the conceptualisation of academic freedom…. [Direct]
(2017). Balancing Disruptive Students' Rights with Campus Safety. Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, v90 n5-6 p203-207. Disruptive students potentially pose significant problems for campus administrators as they strive to maintain a safe campus environment conducive to learning while not violating the legal rights of the students. Maintaining a safe campus is important because increasing numbers of students with mental and cognitive disorders are enrolling in college and university classes. This article examines selected court cases involving disruptive students who alleged violations of their First Amendment right of free speech, due process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment, and violations of the rights afforded them under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. The rulings in these cases were used to develop campus guidelines and procedures to address the actions of disruptive students…. [Direct]
(2023). Principals' Responses to Student Gun Violence Protests: Deter, Manage, or Educate for Democracy?. Teachers College Record, v125 n2 p131-177 Feb. Context: School-based student protests have received little scholarly attention, yet they have the potential to impact the school community, students' civic development, and larger social movements. Principals are key actors in responding to school-based student protests. As school leaders, principals' actions affect the outcome of student protests and shape many students' first experiences as activists. Purpose: This study examines U.S. public high school principals' responses to schoolbased student protests in 2018, a year of heightened protest activity in response to gun violence in schools. The purpose of our study is to understand how a national sample of principals responded to student protests and to quantify general trends in their responses. Research Design: Using a mixed methods approach, we surveyed 491 principals during the summer of 2018; follow-up interviews were conducted with 38 principals. Analyses are grounded in the Deter-Manage-Educate framework, a new conceptual… [Direct]
(2021). Freedom of Expression at Davidson College: Is There a Problem? Answers from the Fall 2021 Survey of Davidson College Students. American Council of Trustees and Alumni The alumni group Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse (DFTD) was founded in 2018 to monitor the state of free expression, diversity of viewpoints, and ideological balance at Davidson College. DFTD was also founded to undertake research to help clarify whether perceived problems in these key areas are real. Fall 2021 survey of major donors to Davidson College, virtually all of whom are alumni, revealed an urgent problem: Only 20% answered that it is "extremely" or "very clear" to them that the college administration protects free speech on campus, and 94% said that Davidson's next president should make campus freedom of speech and open, civil discourse a priority. But do Davidson's major donors have it right? Is there in reality a problem that needs to be addressed? To help answer this question, DFTD commissioned College Pulse–an online survey and analytics company dedicated to understanding the attitudes, preferences, and behaviors of today's college… [PDF]
(2019). Responding to Racial Incivility in Classrooms: Hospitality and Responsibility. Journal of Global Education and Research, v3 n2 Article 6 p181-192 Dec. This paper considers the relationship between education and hospitality in the specific context of moments of incivility in classrooms, with special attention to racial/white resentment. The authors reflect on the extent to which nurturing intellectual candor with interpretive charity (Callan, 2011) can be extended to incivility shaped by white resentment. They contend there is a need to approach hospitality as responsibility (Levinas, 1969, thereby suggesting conditions for student agency. The relationship between the educator as host and giver of hospitality and the students as guests and respondents is discussed (Ruitenberg, 2011b). The paper argues the role of the teacher is key to ensuring those at the receiving end of the perceived attack are able to reclaim hospitality by being given the space and the means to respond to the offense with agency. This paper discusses the need for parameters balancing free speech and teaching moments with restoring agency to the marginalized… [PDF]
(2016). Censorship and Student Communication in Online and Offline Settings. IGI Global While freedom of speech is a defining characteristic of the United States, the First Amendment right is often regulated within certain environments. For years, schools have attempted to monitor and regulate student communication both within the educational environment and in student use of social media and other online communication tools. "Censorship and Student Communication in Online and Offline Settings" is a comprehensive reference source that addresses the issues surrounding student's right to free speech in on and off-campus settings. Featuring relevant coverage on the implications of digital media as well as constitutional and legal considerations, this publication is an essential resource for school administrators, educators, students, and policymakers interested in uncovering the reasons behind student censorship and the challenges associated with the regulation of students' free speech. Following a foreword by Eunice A. Grippaldi, this book contains the following… [Direct]