Harvard and Columbia ranked worst for free speech amid campus tensions

Lauren Taylor

HARVARD AND COLUMBIA HAVE JUST BEEN NAMED THE WORST COLLEGES FOR FREE SPEECH. THAT’S ACCORDING TO A NEW ANALYSIS FROM THE FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION, OR FIRE, AND COLLEGE PULSE. RELEASED ON THURSDAY, THE REPORT RANKS 251 SCHOOLS AND FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, HARVARD FINDS ITSELF AT THE VERY BOTTOM. 

THESE ‘ELITE’ INSTITUTIONS, ALONG WITH OTHERS, FACED BACKLASH EARLIER THIS YEAR OVER HOW THEY HANDLED PRO-PALESTINAN STUDENT PROTESTS. 

FREE SPEECH ON CAMPUSES HAS BEEN DECLINING FOR YEARS, FIRE’S PRESIDENT TOLD AXIOS THAT THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE ISSUE HAS REALLY DRAWN ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM ON A MASSIVE SCALE. 

HARVARD, COLUMBIA AND NEW YORK UNIVERSITY ALL RANKED AT THE BOTTOM, WIT THEIR SPEECH CLIMATES DESCRIBED AS “ABYSMAL.” OTHER SCHOOL LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, BARNARD COLLEGE, SYRACUSE AND USC, WERE ALSO CONSIDERED “VERY POOR” FOR FREE SPEECH.

FIRE SUGGESTS STUDENTS AND FAMILIES CONSIDER A SCHOOL’S FREE SPEECH RANKING WHEN CHOOSING WHERE TO APPLY. 

SCHOOLS THAT ARE RANKED HIGHEST LIKE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, MICHIGAN TECH, AND FLORIDA STATE ARE MOSTLY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. 

OVER 58-THOUSAND STUDENTS WERE SURVEYED. A RECORD 55-PERCENT OF STUDENT RESPONDENTS SAY IT’S DIFFICULT TO DISCUSS THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT ON CAMPUS. AND 32-PERCENT OF STUDENTS NOW SAY USING VIOLENCE TO STOP A CAMPUS SPEECH IS AT LEAST “RARELY” ACCEPTABLE.

WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS STORY AND SEE IF THESE ELITE SCHOOLS PLAN ON TAKING ACTION TO IMPROVE THEIR FREE SPEECH CLIMATES.