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July 1, 2024
To Princetonians for Free Speech Subscribers, members and friends,
The Princeton campus, and others, have quieted down for the summer. But the drama of recent months seems likely to resume this fall, and PFS will be keeping you posted.
PFS’s second annual survey of Princeton students, conducted by College Pulse, was released in early June. As PFS Co-Founder Ed Yingling ’70 wrote: “This survey provides information on student attitudes on key free speech issues. Because the survey is being done annually, comparisons can be made to see if Princeton is making progress. Unfortunately, with three important exceptions, on most issues the survey shows little or no progress from the troublesome results in the first survey. In a few cases, the results are worse than last year. Clearly Princeton still has work to do.” Read More
Our very own Matthew Wilson '24 has been promoted to Programs Associate. Matthew joined our team over a year and a half ago as an undergrad, and we are excited to be working with him for another year before he heads to law school.
In other student news, Writing Fellowship applications are now open for the fall 2024 term. For instructions on how to apply, please head to our student portal.
Confidence in colleges and universities hits new lows, per FIRE polls
By Nathan Honeycutt, FIRE, June 11, 2024
Confidence in higher education has plummeted to its lowest level ever according to the results of two new national polls commissioned by FIRE and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago.
Harvard’s ‘Abysmal’ Year Continues
By Samuel J. Abrams & Steven McGuire, Minding the Campus, June 17, 2024
Harvard’s year has been one for the history books. It ranked last in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s annual college free speech survey, earning its own category of “abysmal.” It had quite possibly the worst response to Hamas’s October 7th terrorist attack on Israel in all American higher education.
Bureaucracy Is Eating Higher Education. Just Look at Yale
By Lauren Noble, National Review, June 27, 2024
In the last year alone, the university added nearly three times as many bureaucrats as undergraduates and twice as many bureaucrats as educators.
‘Momentum undeniably growing’: More elite colleges look to end DEI hiring mandates
By Katlyn Anderson, The College Fix, June 26, 2024
Yale, Columbia still use DEI in hiring as other elite colleges like MIT, Harvard abandon practice.
To Princetonians for Free Speech Subscribers, Members and Friends,
This week is Orientation for new students at Princeton. Students, faculty and staff are, no doubt, on edge. The encampment on Cannon Green and the arrests for criminal trespass of Clio Hall are fresh in everyone’s memory. Despite clear and intentional actions that broke Princeton’s rules of conduct and its core commitment to free expression and respectful disagreement, the administration struggled to respond clearly.
This moment requires clarity from Princeton’s leaders on the rights and responsibilities concerning free speech, academic freedom, respect for viewpoint diversity and rules of civil discourse.
Princeton boasts robust free speech protections and rules around peaceful protest. But principles and rules “on paper” are not enough. Specific actions need to be taken to regain the practice of a true liberal education, which is by necessity rooted in free expression. Diverse perspectives are what empower students to engage in challenging ideas and learn from respectful disagreement. Threats and harassment are not part of what free expression means. Princeton has a long way to go to embed core principles into the everyday experience and outlook of students, faculty and administrators. As students return to campus, we present The PFS Top Ten – the ten most important reforms Princeton’s leadership should consider.
To Princetonians for Free Speech Subscribers, members and friends,
While the nation is gripped by the uncertainty of the Presidential race, what’s happening in higher education may not be a focus of attention. But plenty is going on, even in July. Four surveys published this month track trends that have direct impact at Princeton and most universities in the country. The surveys featured here measure the following: 1) the radical decline of public confidence in higher education, 2) the dramatic rise in student and faculty concern about censorship and self-censorship post-October 7, 3) the dismantling of DEI programs, and 4) the lack of student knowledge of their country’s government and history. As universities including Princeton prepare to welcome students to campus next month, the results of these surveys will shape campus experience.
We also remind our subscribers of PFS’s own survey published in June – the second annual poll of Princeton students. Follow the link to see the results, and PFS’s recommendations for improving the campus free speech and academic freedom climate at Princeton: Princetonians Student Free Speech Survey Shows More Work Needs To Be Done.
May 30, 2024
To Princetonians for Free Speech Subscribers, members and friends,
Reunions 2024 was a huge success for PFS! About 130 people attended our first on-campus Reunion event, “You Can’t Teach That! The Battle over University Classrooms,” with Keith E. Whittington and Jonathan Rauch. See details in the special feature below. We will let you know as soon as the event is posted on YouTube. In the meantime, see Whittington’s May 10 article in the Daily Princetonian: Civil Disobedience Has Consequences.
Did Reunions 2024 include protests that crossed the line into civil disobedience? Yes. Princeton Alumni Weekly reported that pro-Palestinian protestors delayed the start of the P-rade, disrupted President Eisgruber’s presentation in Alexander Hall, painted graffiti on Roberston Hall and dyed the fountain red. But the many thousands of alums did not let these intrusions by a few protesters put a damper on their fun.
