National Free Speech News & Commentary

FIRE

Excerpt: This report explores insights from a national survey of 6,269 tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure track faculty across 55 four-year colleges and universities in the United States, conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). As the largest survey of faculty ever conducted on this topic, the data reveal faculty attitudes and experiences concerning free expression and academic freedom.

While many faculty remain confident in higher education, and few report explicit threats or experiences of discipline for speech, the broader climate reflects that of rampant self-censorship, worry, and fear, particularly among faculty in the political minority. A discussion of these findings follow. The PDF version of the report is accompanied by school-specific results for each of the 55 colleges and universities surveyed.

David Zimmerman
National Review

Excerpt: Harvard University president Alan Garber has told faculty members that the school needs to rethink its communications strategy after president-elect Donald Trump’s victory, which the university leader said he saw as a strong rejection of elitism among American voters.

Colleen Flaherty
Inside Higher Ed

Excerpt: A new Student Voice flash survey on campus speech issues from Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab finds that students most blame other students (versus other groups) for escalating tensions over campus speech. Politicians aren’t off the hook, though, coming in at a close second. At the same time, just one in 10 students is very concerned about the climate for campus speech at their institution; another three in 10 are somewhat concerned. A bigger share of students say they’re concerned to some degree about the climate for speech across higher education, however.

Kathryn Palmer
Inside Higher Ed

Excerpt: The vast majority of faculty members—87 percent—say it’s difficult to have open and honest conversations about divisive political topics, including those related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, racial inequality and transgender rights, according to the 2024 faculty survey report “Silence in the Classroom,” published today by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

The group surveyed 6,269 faculty across 55 colleges and universities—including a mix of public and private institutions—on the state of free speech and self-censorship on their campuses.

Jessica Blake
Inside Higher Ed

Excerpt: The roundtable discussion, hosted by North Carolina representative Gregory Murphy, reinforced the GOP’s argument that colleges and universities across the country have become liberal bastions that do not welcome intellectual diversity.

In addition to Jordan and YAF, the panel consisted of representatives from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, the Jefferson Council for the University of Virginia, Speech First and the Alumni Free Speech Alliance (AFSA), all right-leaning groups. Representative Virginia Foxx, chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Representative Burgess Owens of Utah—both Republicans—joined Murphy.

Kathryn Palmer
Inside Higher Ed

Excerpt: For months, East Tennessee State University’s art museum displayed without issue a provocative piece of art depicting a conservative politician as a fascist. But in the last two weeks, the exhibit—which closed as scheduled on Dec. 6—became mired in controversy after Republican lawmakers took note and began calling for its removal in late November.

In response, on Dec. 2, ETSU’s Reece Museum introduced a content warning and started requiring viewers to sign a waiver before entering the exhibit, “Evolution” by Joel Gibbs, which shows U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson in front of swastikas morphing into crosses. The move drew the ire of free speech groups.