Category: free speech on campus

Universities Need to Stop Being the Enablers of Social Activism

Commentary In his inaugural address, John F. Kennedy said, “civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof.” Words clearly not understood by students at the University of Sydney given their outrageous, but not unprecedented, behaviour earlier this month. Requiring police to escort former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull away…


It’s Going to be a Long March Back to Academic Freedom

Commentary In the 1960s and ’70s, we witnessed the spread of increasingly radical ideologies in North America. In Canada and the United States, Marxist revolutionary visions were seldom embraced by working-class citizens. So, militant leftists shifted the idea of revolutionary “struggle” from class warfare to ethnic and racial conflict. They captured the imagination of impressionable…


Book Review: ‘The Breakdown of Higher Education: How It Happened, the Damage It Does, and What Can Be Done’

There is no doubt that there is plenty wrong with higher education today. From the lack of free speech on campuses, to far-left indoctrination, to an abysmal ratio of conservative-to-liberal professors, to the exemption of American and military history in universities, one easily runs out of fingers pointing out all the things that have gone…


A Free Speech Code for Australian Universities: Protecting Free or Restrictive Speech?

Commentary The Australian Minister for Education and Youth, Alan Tudge, reported on Oct. 13, 2021, that all 41 universities in the country have now adopted policies to strengthen and protect free speech and academic freedom. Specifically, most have adopted a slightly modified version of the Model Code as revised by the Chancellors’ Council Working Group….


All Australian Universities Have Now Adopted Free Speech Code

All Australian universities have now adopted policies to strengthen and protect free speech on campus, two years after the recommendation was made. University chancellors have also agreed to publicly report on how they are upholding academic freedom and freedom of speech on campus on an annual basis from 2021. Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge said…


Florida Bill Would Permit Students to Record Lectures to Prove Political Bias

A Florida bill would permit students to record classroom lectures without a professor’s consent for proof if they suspect they are pushing political bias. House Bill 233 (pdf), which currently requires the signature of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, would allow students to record lectures so long as it’s for their own personal educational use, or…


Generation Z’s Silent Free Speech Crisis

Commentary It’s undeniable that a crackdown on free speech is underway. Cancel culture’s body count continues to grow as more and more celebrities are crucified for not toeing the line of political correctness. Meanwhile, censorship runs rampant on college campuses as safe spaces are established and controversial speakers are shouted down. While these public tales…


New Laws Strengthen Protections Around Freedom of Speech in Australian Universities

A new legislation to further strengthen freedom of speech protections at Australian universities has been passed by parliament. The Higher Education Support Amendment (Freedom of Speech) Bill 2020 (pdf) amends the Higher Education Support Act 2003 by providing a clear definition of ‘academic freedom’. It also replaces the use of ‘free intellectual inquiry’ with the…