Free expression is a cornerstone democratic principle that deserves periodic re-emphasis and re-commitment from institutions that carry out the responsibilities of a public entity.
Indiana State University’s board of trustees chose to take that step last week by adding verbiage to an existing policy that states that the university “values free expression for all students and faculty.”
While the adoption of such language is mostly symbolic, ISU’s leaders found themselves needing to punctuate their commitment to free expression after its clumsy handling last year of a strange controversy surrounding a conservative commentator scheduled to speak on campus.
Rich Lowry, editor of National Review, found himself embroiled in a public spat a few days before he was set to appear on campus. He had been accused of using a derogatory racial term in a televised broadcast. As is common in today’s hyper partisan media landscape, ideological opponents seized on the claim and attacked Lowry for his use of words. Lowry and his supporters said it was a misunderstanding based on a mispronunciation of words.
As the argument boiled, ISU wrongly succumbed to pressure and canceled Lowry’s appearance out of concern that his presence on campus would be disruptive and raised security concerns. The decision made ISU a target of conservative hysteria with claims of censorship.
It was clearly an unfortunate incident that blemished ISU’s reputation in some circles. The university overreacted and suffered the consequences.
Last week’s board action added what is known as the Chicago Statement to its free expression policy. That statement, written at the University of Chicago in 2015, explicitly declares its commitment to free expression and the exchange of conflicting ideas. In part, it states that “it is not the proper role of the university to attempt to shield individuals from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable or even deeply offensive,” and that “concerns about civility and mutual respect can never be used as a justification for closing off discussion of ideas, however offensive or disagreeable those ideas may be to some members of our community.”
Other institutions of higher learning have also adopted the Chicago Statement, including Purdue, Ball State, Southern Indiana and DePauw in Indiana.
We applaud this board action and hope it helps ISU move beyond the ripples created by its 2024 misstep.
We continue, however, to be concerned about actions taken recently by the university administration to curtail efforts to create and sustain a welcoming environment for its diverse student community. Under pressure from state and federal conservative elected officials, ISU cut funding for programs aimed at supporting minority students and even went so far as to eliminate the words “African American” from the name of its cultural center facility.
Standards of inclusiveness, whether in support of free expression or in creating a campus environment that welcomes everyone equally, should be applied in widest possible forms.
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