UT System prohibits its universities from making political or social statements

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The University of Texas Board of Regents amended its free speech policy this week to prohibit the system and its 14 universities and health-related institutions from adopting political or social positions unrelated to campus operations.

“Institutions should not, in their official capacity, issue or express positions on issues of the day, however appealing they may be to some members of the university community,” reads the new language that was added to the system’s statement on freedom of speech and expression and approved by the board during its Thursday meeting.

The policy does not apply to individual faculty, staff or students free speech and only relates to “official university statements, functions, ceremonies, and publications.”

In a statement, Paul Corliss, associate vice chancellor for external relations and communications, said the new policy is an extension of the principles put forth in the Kalven Report from the University of Chicago, a 1967 report on the university’s role in political and social action that concluded “institutional neutrality” is necessary for the university to fulfill its core mission and create a campus environment were all students, faculty and staff have the freedom to take their own political or social views.

In 2022, the UT System adopted a version of the “Chicago Statement,” a set of principles affirming an institution’s commitment to free speech. It calls for the protection of speech even if it is considered “offensive, unwise, immoral or wrong-headed,” with restrictions on speech that is illegal, defamatory or harassment.

The UT System’s policy change comes during the first week of the fall semester at many of its campuses, the first time students are back to school after its flagship, the University of Texas at Austin, became ground zero for clashes over the Israel-Hamas war.

The Middle East conflict has tested free speech policies at universities in Texas and across the country as pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel students engage in protests and heated discussions. School leaders have struggled to strike a balance between their roles as moderators and facilitators of intellectual debate on campus.

After the war began Oct. 7, UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell issued two statements to the university community related to the unfolding conflict. In his first message, he laid out safety measures in place for Jewish students on campus. In the second one, Hartzell said the university refrains from issuing statements in response to major events unless there is a connection to the campus community or a matter of public safety, but said he has zero tolerance for any antisemitism toward Jewish students or “hate-filled actions” toward Muslim communities.

During the spring semester, tensions exploded on U.S. campuses in response to the war, including UT-Austin and the University of Texas at Dallas. In April, hundreds of students walked out of class at the flagship university, leading to the arrest of 57 people after police ordered them to disperse. A few days later, nearly 80 more people were arrested after protesters tried to set up an encampment on campus. Protesters were also arrested at UT-Dallas after students set up an encampment on campus, demanding the university divest from U.S. corporations that have ties to Israel’s war in Gaza.

Other universities, including the University of North Carolina System and University of Wyoming, have previously adopted positions to remain neutral. Since the Israel-Hamas war, others have joined them, including Stanford University and Northwestern University. Harvard University said in May it would no longer make political statements at the recommendation of a faculty committee, though they stopped short of fully embracing “institutional neutrality.”

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/23/ut-system-free-speech-policy/.

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