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College Republican Leader at Stanford Blasts ‘Orwellian’ New Admin Position

College Republican Leader at Stanford Blasts ‘Orwellian’ New Admin Position

“They’re trying to reduce the undesirable effects of free speech”

Stanford just hired a new “Director of Academic Freedom” and a leader of the school’s college Republicans says it’s a ploy to stifle free speech.

The College Fix reports:

‘Why not treat us like adults?’ College Republican leader slams ‘Orwellian’ new student goverment role

A College Republican at Stanford University is criticizing a recently created administrative role at the school that will assess the “academic merit” of campus speakers, claiming that the position is “Orwellian” and infantilizing of students there.

The Associated Students of Stanford University recently created a “Director of Academic Freedom” position for their organization. According to their website, the Director of Academic Freedom is expected to “work with University administration to revise policies and expectations for student group events that will ensure free exchange of ideas while continuing to uphold the Honor Code and Fundamental Standard”

The position will also “identify potential threats to student research, such as changes to federal funding of studies and fellowships that focus on controversial topics, and develop advocacy efforts around those issues as appropriate” and “partner with schools, departments, academic units, student organizations, and/or other stakeholders to identify potential speakers and confirm their academic merit.”

The Vice President of Stanford College Republicans, Philip Eykamp, has called the new position “Orwellian.”

In a phone interview, Eykamp told The College Fix that he believes Stanford will use this role to censor conservative speakers, and in doing so, deny leftist protestors any chance to respond in embarrassing ways. In this way, Eykamp argued, the university would simultaneously achieve two separate wins for left-wing causes: Conservatives would be prevented from expressing themselves, and consequently, radicals on the left would have fewer opportunities to protest in distasteful ways.

“They’re trying to reduce the undesirable effects of free speech,” Eykamp told The Fix. “They’re trying to prevent things that may look bad for the university.”

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Comments

I was the head of the Forum Board at Oberlin my senior year and their only rule was that we could not invite Hunter S. Thompson, who had apparently started a fire at another college.

I think the proper euphemism would be “Controller of Academic Freedom,” where the word “control” is used in the same sense as it is in “weed control,” “pest control,” and “gun control.” The word “control” means to ban, destroy, and eliminate.