果冻传媒app官方

Table of Contents

University of Nebraska Board of Regents approves 鈥楥ommitment to Free Expression鈥 Statement

Following a politicized free speech debacle in the fall that drew , including a letter from 果冻传媒app官方, the University of Nebraska system has adopted a sweeping policy statement endorsing free expression.

At the , the Regents a Commitment to Free Expression statement pledging the university to upholding the First Amendment and actively endorsing freedom of expression. With its adoption, the University of Nebraska joins 33 other like-minded institutions that have chosen to prioritize free speech and academic freedom by endorsing a statement modeled after the University of Chicago鈥檚 exemplary free speech statement (better known as the 鈥淐hicago Statement鈥).

The Commitment to Free Expression, crafted by stakeholders in the University of Nebraska community, memorializes the university鈥檚 promise to promote and protect free speech on its campuses. Echoing the Chicago Statement, the Commitment affirms that the core purpose of a university is enhanced when free expression is encouraged:

Inasmuch as the search for new truths often comes forth only after bringing together differing opinions, the University aims to foster and uphold the capacity of the University community to engage in discourse and deliberation in an effective, responsible and respectful manner. This is critical to the University鈥檚 mission.

Further, the Commitment carefully explains the limits of free speech. Although members of the community are encouraged to participate in debate, they must not deprive their fellow community members of the right to listen. The Commitment states:

With this policy, the University is not only promoting a lively and fearless freedom of debate and deliberation, but also protecting that freedom when others attempt to restrict it. It is a careful, deliberative and nuanced balance of interests that the University must strike in order to protect this important right.

In addition to the Commitment to Free Expression, the full policy adopted by the Regents includes a 鈥淕uide for Facility Use Plans鈥 and an 鈥淓ducation鈥 programming plan. These additional provisions further solidify the university鈥檚 intention to enact policies consistent with the First Amendment. However, at present, the flagship campus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln maintains six 鈥測ellow light鈥 policies. In 果冻传媒app官方鈥檚 speech code rating system, yellow light policies are defined as those that impermissibly restrict student expression and are ripe for administrative abuse.

In light of the Board of Regents鈥 principled statement on free expression, we are hopeful that this marks a new chapter for free speech at the University of Nebraska. FIREwould welcome the opportunity to work with administrators at the university to improve its speech codes in order to align them with the university鈥檚 stated goal of protecting and promoting freedom of expression.

Recent Articles

FIRE鈥檚 award-winning Newsdesk covers the free speech news you need to stay informed.

Share