The Trend Towards Political Neutrality at Colleges is Real
“The debate represents a shift in the way colleges engage with a quintessential aspect of higher education: the free flow of ideas.”
As we have noted over the last few months, more and more schools are adopting a neutral position on politics. Much of this is being driven by the behavior of the radical left.
Politico reports:
Colleges rethink their political voice
A simple policy to ward off another disruptive season of campus protests is splintering the higher education community and forcing colleges to weigh their traditional role as beacons of free speech.
More than a dozen universities are banning official stances on politics a year after Hamas’ attack on Israel spiraled into an international crisis and felled several university presidents in its wake. The schools argue they put their students’ rights at risk when institutions take sides on major issues. A competing contingent of colleges insists they have an obligation to speak out against societal wrongs.
The debate represents a shift in the way colleges engage with a quintessential aspect of higher education: the free flow of ideas.
“The problem with universities taking official positions is that they lay down a party line,” said Daniel Diermeier, the chancellor of Vanderbilt University, which embraces official neutrality. “It creates a chilling effect.”
The University of Virginia, University of Wisconsin and University of Southern California recently joined schools like Harvard and Stanford in adopting the policy. At least 14 other colleges also embraced neutrality rules since last year’s Oct. 7 attacks, the majority since May. The policies vary slightly but generally state that the institution can’t take a stance on political and social issues, and university leaders shouldn’t give an opinion on its behalf.
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Comments
I don’t care in the slightest about their official positions. Those are just for marketing purposes anyway. What I care about is the unofficial position that lets one side – usually the side of murder, corruption and evil – get away with anything while the other side must be punished, no matter they’ve done.
THAT is the problem.
Maybe they’re just figuring out that conservative kids won’t trash the place.
No, this is mere window dressing.
In 2019, I asked the Faculty Senate at my university (UC Santa Cruz) to adopt the Chicago Principles. They scoffed, and 90% voted against it. Recently, they’ve been upset that the university is “cracking down” on pro-Palestinian speech (really just enforcing long-standing campus rules on time, place, and manner). My feeling? The faculty should have supported others’ rights to free speech when they had the chance.
You asked communists to give up power. Bravo to you, even if you couldn’t get them to relinquish their tyranny.
Been in higher ed over 25 years. Any statements or movements are just a PR stunt at this point because parents are looking at community colleges as legit options over universities. In the hallways and conference rooms: white men evil, Marx is a hero, there is no god (unless it’s Allah or some eastern god). The UNC Board of Governors told member institutions to end DEI offices. What we are seeing is an outward alignment with the directive, but DEI is deeply ingrained in every corner of every department in the system. DEI officers are often just shuffled around.
exactly
anything else is just wishful thinking and/or fear of actually having to face the truth of the takeover
until blmplo gets restless again