U. of Chicago’s Free-Expression Letter Exposes Fault Lines on Campus
When John Ellison sat down to write a letter welcoming the Class of 2020 to the University of Chicago, he very likely had no idea his words woul add fulel to the national debate over academic freedom and the use of safe spaces and trigger in higher education. The letter, in which the dean of students sought to remind students of the university’s longstanding commitment to free expression, tripped itself up with confusing language and a tone that struck some as condescending.