Free Speech on Campus

aerial view of central campus looking south along Ingalls Mall

Freedom of speech is a bedrock principle of our community and essential to our core educational mission as a university– it is reflected in our history, policies and practices.

The university’s Standard Practice Guide reaffirms our commitment to free speech. It states, in part, that “expression of diverse points of view is of the highest importance, not only for those who espouse a cause or position and then defend it, but also for those who hear and pass judgment on that defense. The belief that an opinion is pernicious, false, or in any other way detestable cannot be grounds for its suppression.”