Bucknell University Freedom of Expression and Free Speech David Kinnear
Until recently, few places in America allowed more discussion, more varied student groups, and more provocative and free expression than America’s celebrated private campuses.
Unfortunately, that circumstance has changed. Bucknell University, like some of America’s most elite private liberal arts colleges has become a center of censorship and repression.
Bucknell has created a wide array of barriers to unfettered discourse and discussion. Specifically:
a. Ambiguous policies that too easily encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application.
b. Sex Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence & Stalking Policy & Procedures for Resolving Complaints Against Students
c. Bias incident policy. Beyond the definition of hate crimes, bias incidents also include completed, attempted or threatened abusive or hostile acts against persons, property or an institution that involve target(s) selected on the basis of the target’s actual or perceived age, (socioeconomic) class, color, disability status, ethnic/regional/national origin group, gender, gender identity, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation.
d. Appropriate Use Policy - Do not use university resources (including, for example, e-mail, web pages, or newsgroups) to defame, harass, intimidate or threaten any other person(s), or to promote bigotry or discrimination.
e. Harassment, which includes engaging in conduct that, in the view of a reasonable person, has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating or hostile educational, work, or living environment.
f. Bullying and cyberbullying, which generally involve an imbalance of power, an intent to cause harm, and repetition. Cyberbullying is bullying using the internet, mobile phones or other digital technologies.
These speech codes; civility policies; sweeping “anti-harassment” regulations; wildly restrictive email regulations; broadly defined bans on “disruptive” speech; and overreaching and vague anti-discrimination policies sharply restrict the expression of ideas and beliefs by unpopular religious and political groups.
Bucknell University advertises itself as welcoming the fullest pluralism and debate but too often has little time, patience, or tolerance for students who actually choose to dissent from the political assumptions of the institution. Unlike many schools that openly declare a religious or other particular mission, Bucknell presents itself to the public as an intellectually diverse institution dedicated to the free exchange of ideas. Bucknell University should be held to that standard.
Several respected institutions — including the University of Chicago, Princeton, Johns Hopkins and Purdue — have forcefully repudiated the new American virus of hypersensitivity, which infects schools across the country with walk-on-eggshell speech codes and trigger warnings. They adopted the University of Chicago’s Freedom of Expression Statement and have powerfully endorsed the importance of freedom of expression on campus.
As proud alumni and friends of Bucknell, we believe the University should endorse this statement as institutional policy to ensure that Bucknell returns to its devotion of unfettered inquiry and the search for truth.
The statement guarantees “all members of the University community the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge, and learn” and makes clear that “it is not the proper role of the University to attempt to shield individuals from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable, or even deeply offensive.” This inspiring commitment provides students and professors the freedom needed to learn and teach to the best of their abilities.
As colleges and universities nationwide continue to follow the University of Chicago’s excellent example, the now-commonplace censorship of student and faculty expression is facing a powerful new challenge. We ask that Bucknell University help lead the charge.
Bucknell is failing to deliver on its core mission; to encourage unfettered inquiry and the search for truth.
The mission of this page is to highlight to alumni and friends of the University, the need for policy reform at Bucknell. Specifically, we are asking the Board of Trustees to endorse the University of Chicago Freedom of Expression Statement as institutional policy.
The statement guarantees “all members of the University community the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge, and learn” and makes clear that “it is not the proper role of the University to attempt to shield individuals from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable, or even deeply offensive.” This inspiring commitment provides students and professors the freedom needed to learn and teach to the best of their abilities.
