Colleges Draw Hard Lines Against Calls to Restrict Speech
As colleges around the nation face pressure to regulate campus speech, several have pushed back by formally declaring refusals to limit the exchange of ideas. At the forefront is the University of Chicago, which last year adopted a statement on free expression on campuses that is being heralded as a model for colleges elsewhere. Its statement says the university should not try to shield people from ideas "they find unwelcome, disagreeable, or even deeply offensive," and has a responsibility to ensure visiting speakers on campus are unhindered by student protesters.