Over the last two years, students and campus groups are facing an unprecedented number of speech investigations by administrators and government officials, according to FIRE.
Institutional neutrality is vital during today's widening political divisions, says Xavier University President Colleen Hanycz, who takes pride in being vocal about not being vocal.
Only 27% of faculty believe academic freedom is secure on their campus today, and more are toning down their writing than during the McCarthy era, according to a report from FIRE.
In the week ahead, some colleges can begin building reduced-credit programs and maybe even expect more high school students to enroll right after graduation.
Liberal arts college leaders attending The Presidents Dinner in D.C. are tangled in a Catch-22 balancing First Amendment protections. But dialogue and learning to listen are seen as solutions.
College and university leaders feeling the pressure from skeptical policymakers and the public can take a deep breath thanks to this research that pushes back against today's higher ed headlines.
It may not surprise higher ed leaders that students overwhelmingly back pro-Palestinian campus protests. What may be startling is a poll that shows how some college students feel about hate speech and violence.
As presidents ratchet up their measures to snuff campus protests, utilizing law enforcement and threats of suspension and arrest, faculty are increasingly becoming more disdainful toward their institutional leadership.
In six of the 10 spots, at least one college or university was flagged for chilling faculty speech, impeding the rights of LGBTQ+ persons and a slew of other aggressions, in FIRE's latest "10 Worst Censors" list.
“This is not an anomaly: Free speech in higher education is getting worse,” said Laura Beltz, director of policy reform at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
