University of Michigan Board of Regents Approves New Statement on Free Speech and Diversity of Thought
“These principles declare unequivocally that cancel culture is dead at the University of Michigan”
This is great news. If only we saw this happening at schools across the country.
The Detroit News reports:
‘Cancel culture is dead’: University of Michigan board approves new free speech statement
The University of Michigan Board of Regents on Tuesday unanimously approved a new statement on free speech during a special meeting, with President Santa Ono calling it a historic vote and saying it was more important than ever to “come together.”
“No matter the problems in the day, it is vital that we remain fully committed to freedom of speech and diversity of thought,” Ono said before the board voted. “At this time of great division, it is more important than ever we come together in a shared commitment to pluralism, mutual respect and to freedom of speech and diversity of thought.”
Approval of the statement followed a public feedback and comment period on the updated principles that were drafted by university faculty and officials, who said the principles reemphasize the university’s commitment to freedom of expression and diversity of thought. The last time the university approved such a statement was 1988.
UM Regent Mark Bernstein called the principles “the North Star of the university that sits next to our mission statement.”
“These principles declare unequivocally that cancel culture is dead at the University of Michigan,” said UM Regent Mark Bernstein, a Democrat who is a lawyer. “We are a public university with a long and proud history of robust engagement on issues of great societal consequence, indeed, actively confronting the most controversial, a hallmark of our culture that we fully embrace.”
Regent Ron Weiser, a Republican, highlighted three sentences in the statement, including that the university stimulates and supports diverse ideas and viewpoints, which he said is important especially to him as a conservative.
“It’s really important that we realize that the university is about talking to each other and understanding there’s going to be differences of opinion and viewpoints on many, many subjects,” Weiser said. “But stopping talking and not having those discussions is what leads to conflict.”
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Comments
As an alumnus who has been fed up with U of M’s pandering of deranged authoritarian fascist groups, these words are an encouraging sign.
Unfortunately I suspect the loss of donations and Harvardization was more of a motivation than freedom of thought.
Excising and discarding the malignancy of Marxist ideology from the faculty and administrators will require actions, not bloviating.
Much as I loved the football team’s championship, it’s a “look a squirrrel” distraction from the rot that has eaten away in academia.
I’ll lock up my checkbook until I see proof the regents are serious and not just blowing smoke.
Stuff and nonsense.
University of michigan has devolved into one of the worst places for anyone to try to obtain higher education — except Hamas supporters
Shall I be more specific? Have you seen what the Hamas-supporters did the other day outside Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital?
That’s exactly the kind of treatment that you will receive if you spend any time at U Michigan. And worse — because you’ll be vulnerable anywhere on campus, any time of day, any day of the week or weekend.