Dive Brief:
- A number of recent incidents involving controversial comments made by college professors have left some wondering if higher education institutions are going to be willing to support professors when they are criticized because of ideological or otherwise contentious statements they’ve made.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education cites a number of recent incidents, including the administrative leave of Trinity College Professor Johnny Eric Williams following comments about the recent Congressional shooting in Virginia, and University of Delaware adjunct Katherine Dettwyler's comments about a UVA student who died after imprisonment in North Korea, and Essex Community College adjunct Lisa Durden's appearance on a Fox News show to talk about a Black Lives Matter event.
- The latter two institutions discontinued all ties with the adjuncts over statements they made, and in many cases, college administrators have not been particularly robust in voicing their support for professors, admitting the need for free expression while distancing themselves from any individual or remarks.
Dive Insight:
The news comes as professors recently reported that they are increasingly self-censoring their social media usage due to concerns about professional consequences. This is particularly of concern to adjuncts like Dettwyler and Durden, who do not have the protection tenure track professors do. Meanwhile, administrators must be cognizant of the concerns of their students and faculty while also recognizing that, due to social media and viral videos, any political controversy on a particular campus can become a chess piece in a broader national partisan divide.
In March, outgoing University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan urged listeners to have a broader view of free speech on college campuses. Potentially controversial speakers should have a chance to speak, of course, but students must have the freedom to express their distaste for those views in protest, and professors should have the freedom to explain their own views with freedom from anxiety that their jobs may be in jeopardy due to their views. Many are concerned that the recent spate of "free speech" bills that have been proposed by state legislatures across the country are political tools rather than comprehensive solutions.