twilight view of Cornell University clock tower and adjacent buildings

The Fog over Free Speech at Cornell

BY JOHN K. WILSON On August 14, the Cornell Free Speech Alliance (CFSA) issued a report, “Lifting The Fog: Restoring Academic Freedom & Free Expression At Cornell University,” that made policy recommendations for how Cornell can improve its climate for free speech. Keith Whittington at Reason called the report “a valuable agenda for faculty across…

Thoughts on the “Heckler’s Veto”

BY HANK REICHMAN The so-called “heckler’s veto” is much in the higher ed news these days, with Inside Higher Ed this week running a piece, “Shouting Down Speakers Who Offend,” focusing on incidents at SUNY Albany, Stanford, and San Francisco State Universities. The Stanford incident has prompted two prior posts to this blog (here and here).…

Image of Stanford University and an American flag

In Defense of Tirien Steinbach

BY JOHN K. WILSON Last week, Stanford Law School announced that it had suspended Tirien Steinbach, associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, in the wake of the outrage over the disruption by protesters of a Federalist Society speech by Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan. Stanford must end this suspension immediately. Stanford’s suspension of Steinbach is…

What Just Happened at Stanford Law School?

BY JENNIFER RUTH Inside Higher Ed covers a story today that blew up over the weekend. That is, it “blew up” in a particular way in particular outlets. I found out about it quickly only because I look at the twitter accounts of those on the right who believe that institutions of higher ed are…

University of North Carolina system log shows image of the state in blue silhouette with the letters N and C separated by a star in the middle and "THE UNC SYSTEM" stacked above the image.

UNC Board of Governors At It Again

BY HANK REICHMAN At the biennial membership meeting last June the AAUP’s governing Council voted to condemn the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and System Office for multiple violations of widely accepted standards of shared governance and academic freedom and for a sustained climate of institutional racism. The vote came after publication of…

two rows of blocks reading "free" and "speech". the blocks that spell "free" are being lifted away by a hand

Adam Kissel’s Totalitarian Turn

BY JOHN K. WILSON Adam Kissel has written an article in the Federalist titled “The Smart Lawmaker’s Guide To Writing Anti-Critical Race Theory Laws That Will Stand Up In Court.” As scary as that headline is, the full essay is much more alarming in its open advocacy of repression. Kissel’s piece was in response to…

signpost crossroads against a blue gradient background. left-hand sign reads "history" and right-hand sign reads "future"

The Second Big Lie and the Battle for the Past

BY HARVEY J. GRAFF In my new Journal of Academic Freedom article, “The Nondebate about Critical Race Theory and Our American Moment,” I discuss battles over the past in the context of the US reckoning with truth, reconciliation, collective knowledge, and the pursuit of an inclusive, equitable democracy. These battles at the intersection of past,…