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By Stuart Taylor, Jr., President of PFS
Since the University of Chicago paved the way in 1967 with its Kalven Committee Report, some 30 other American universities and colleges have followed suit by insisting on “institutional neutrality” on political and social issues, while alsoaffirming their commitment to the academic freedom of faculty and students in the face of suppression from internal and/or external entities.
Jennifer Jennings
Daily Princetonian
Excerpt: Universities are the enemy. Or so we’ve been told.
So let me take you behind enemy lines to my undergraduate lecture course of about 100 students, called “Schooled: Education, Opportunity, and Inequality.” It’s cross-listed in Sociology and the School of Public and International Affairs, which is already a red flag to those who use “woke” as both adjective and diagnosis.
Calvin Kenjiro Grover and Luke Grippo
Daily Princetonian
Excerpt: More than a year ago, pro-Palestine protesters concluded a three week-long sit-in with an ominous message: “See you at Reunions.”
While the subsequent disruptions at that year’s Reunions and Commencement were far less dramatic than the ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment,’ they were, for Princeton, still substantial: blood-colored dye in the SPIA fountain, a loud walkout at a speech by University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83, and even an attempt to block the P-Rade.
Nikki Han
Daily Princetonian
Excerpt: Princeton University faculty can only vote on proposals that are “actionable within the context of university operations,” not those simply expressing political positions or beliefs, after a vote at the faculty meeting on April 28.
Hundreds of faculty members filled the entire lower section of Alexander Hall in Richardson Auditorium for the vote. Ultimately, an overwhelming majority of faculty members supported the passing of the following amendment to Section II.C.2 of the Rules and Procedures of the Faculty, introduced by the Ad-hoc Committee on Faculty-Wide Statements:
In many ways, Marisa Hirschfield ’27 represents the typical high-achieving Princeton student. A history major, Hirschfield writes for the Triangle Club and is interested in filmmaking and public interest law. Like many Princetonians, she identifies as politically progressive.
But where Hirschfield’s resume diverges from many of her classmates is that she serves as a writing fellow for Princetonians for Free Speech (PFS), a nonprofit founded by Stuart Taylor Jr. ’70 and Ed Yingling ’70 that seeks to promote free speech and academic freedom on campus. At Princeton, the free speech issue has been contested for the past several years but mostly involved conservative students who felt that they were being silenced or bullied for their views.
Hope Perry ’24 and Julie Bonette
Princeton Alumni Weekly
Excerpt: The Class of 2025’s Class Day celebration on Monday, May 26, was met with an overwhelmingly positive response even after a movement to condemn the choice of wellness podcaster Jay Shetty ’25 as the keynote speaker.
Students had objected to Shetty because of allegations that he has engaged in plagiarism. The New York Times bestselling author and former monk told members of the class that they should focus on their own purpose and happiness rather than the opinions of others.
