The College Fix

OPINION: Stifled speech deprives students of opportunities to think critically

A recent survey out of Harvard University revealed that most students at the school are uncomfortable sharing their views on controversial topics.

This concerning trend is hardly surprising given the university’s politically one-sided campus culture, repeated statements from administrators undermining free speech, and “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives.

“Only one-third of Harvard’s last graduating class felt comfortable expressing their opinions…a 13 percent decrease from the Class of 2023,” a committee commissioned by the school’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences found, according to the Harvard Crimson reported.

The report states that graduate teaching fellows expressed concerns that undergraduates might blame low grades on perceived bias rather than the quality of their work, The College Fix previously reported.

Faculty and administrators have significantly contributed to this climate.

Last year, Harvard Law Professor Randall Kennedy called disinviting a speaker from campus an act of free speech while also admitting that he had asked university officials to rescind invitations to speakers he disagreed with.

Censorship may be a form of expression, but it certainly isn’t protected speech. Censorship actively restricts or suppresses certain viewpoints while protected speech ensures the fundamental right to share ideas without being silenced or punished.

In another instance, Dean of Social Science Lawrence Bobo suggested that faculty could be punished for sharing their views in an op-ed titled “Faculty speech must have limits.” Then, in December, Harvard’s new president said the school should “strongly discourage certain kinds of speech.”

Moreover, the school is almost entirely run by non-conservative faculty. A 2022 survey by The Crimson found that about three-fourths of Harvard faculty identify as liberal or very liberal, while 2.5% identify as conservative and 0.4% identify as very conservative.

Additionally, a recent analysis by The College Fix found that at Harvard there are 2,600 more administrators than undergrads at the school, and many employees are dedicated to advancing DEI initiatives and policies.

Harvard Law Professor J. Mark Ramseyer told The Fix last year that “the DEI statements required of job applicants are a straightforward political loyalty oath.”

Together, these factors are bound to create a prevailing campus culture where certain worldviews dominate. This results in a class of students who are missing out on the true purpose of higher education as they are deprived of opportunities to think critically.

Harvard’s ideological landscape is reflected in its ranking as the lowest school on the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s 2024 College Free Speech Rankings, with a score of 0.00 for the second consecutive year.

Students assessed factors such as their comfort in expressing opinions, the tolerance for both liberal and conservative speakers, administrative support for free speech, and the degree of self-censorship. The results paint a picture of a university where academic freedom and integrity are hardly upheld.

Higher education should be a place where students are encouraged to grapple with complex and controversial issues, fostering open dialogue that prepares them for the world outside of academia. Academic freedom is severely undermined when students avoid sharing their views for fear of being judged or penalized.

To address these issues, the Harvard report recommended explicitly prohibiting grading based on political beliefs in student and faculty handbooks. The proposed language states that while student work can be critiqued for factual errors or weak arguments, grades should not be influenced by a student’s personal beliefs or political views.

This is certainly a step toward ensuring that education is about the pursuit of knowledge and the truth, rather than ideological conformity. However, true academic freedom requires more than just neutral grading—it necessitates creating a campus culture where diverse viewpoints are genuinely welcomed and encouraged.

Without a genuine commitment to intellectual diversity, demonstrated through both the words and actions of faculty members, policy changes will fall short of addressing the root causes of self-censorship.

MORE: Harvard ‘needs more Republicans’ for ‘true diversity,’ student says

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