People often regard campuses as a testing ground for the free exchange of ideas, where students should experience exposure to differing points of view. Rarely, though, has the intersection of free speech, academic inquiry, and activism been more fraught.
The events of the last few months have made plain just how much colleges struggle with that delicate balance.
Perhaps the most pointed recent example is the debate at Harvard University over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where furious student protests about the limits of free expression and the place of institutions in facilitating unpopular speech reached a fever pitch.
At Harvard, a coalition of student groups issued a statement laying blame for the escalation in Gaza on Israel sparked in October of last year. Protests and counter-protests broke out, leading to turomil and raising critical questions about how universities should deal with political speech that could make large swaths of their community turn on them or take umbrage.
The First Amendment protects the right to free speech, and universities that are bound more to public ones must protect that right. As the Court ruled in Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” But, as events in recent years at Harvard most graphically illustrate, sometimes free speech can come with a price: alienation, tension and even emotional injury.
One of the most significant problems regarding free speech on campus is that sometimes, it devolves into hate speech through violently injurious rhetoric.
A 2020 American Psychological Association study found that exposure to hate speech leads to increased anxiety and emotional distress-especially among students of underrepresented communities.
Free speech issues have divided campuses in recent years. In 2017, UC Berkeley gained national attention when protests over a scheduled speech by the alt-right leader Milo Yiannopoulos took a violent turn, and event organisers called off his talk. More recently, students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison protested conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, whom many accuse of using his platform to spread hate speech.
These events exemplify a growing trend of college campuses becoming sites of conflict for broader political and social issues.
Free speech is at the very heart of academic inquiry, and universities have a duty of care to all of their students. Schools need to allow student protests but also encourage discussions between opposing groups with mediators to further reduce the opportunity for a physical altercation or further polarization of the students.
Meanwhile, Princeton can also demonstrate how to handle the controversy with guests. In 2022, the university moderated a Q&A session held after inviting a controversial speaker. Students had an opportunity to question the guest’s arguments directly in a positive environment that fosters intellectual engagement, not disruption. Additionally, the university had support services in place for students who might feel marginalised by this event.
Universities must carefully balance protecting free speech with ensuring student safety. constructive spaces need to be created to encourage dialogue that helps us understand one another.
By laying out clear boundaries regarding protests and events on campus, universities will protect free speech while taking steps to ensure all students feel safe and respected. It is a balance that prepares students for thoughtful and responsible engagement with the complex issues they will encounter beyond the campus gates.
