Pressures Are Finally Forcing Universities to Shut Up

WASHINGTON - Nov. 11, 2024 - PRLog -- Prior to 2016, it was rare for universities to speak out on national election results, but this changed after that year's election when many university presidents began to feel that it was their duty to issue statements in efforts to preempt possible unrest and even violence on their campuses.

This new idea soon spread, with many presidents speaking out, presumptively on behalf of their universities, about many events and topics seemingly having little connection to their own institution or to higher education in general, notes public interest law professor John Banzhaf

At his own George Washington University, these have included statements about: a shooting hundreds of miles away in Buffalo (and not even at a school). enduring traditions of Native American communities and cultures (but apparently not of Asians), celebrating individual identities, the extraordinary accomplishments of Black Americans (but not Hispanic Americans), Ben's Chili Bowl (but not other restaurants), etc.

Now the pendulum seems to be swinging back, with higher education websites noting, for example, the "absence of statements from university leaders about the election of Donald Trump, compared with the dozens that followed the 2016 election."

There are several factors dictating this return to normalcy, says Banzhaf.

When Hamas invaded Israel and then Israel forcefully responded, many presidents felt the need to speak out, but most found that it was impossible to craft statements which didn't fan the flames of unrest, rebellion, and even violence on their campuses.

More specifically, it seemed impossible for university presidents to compose any statement - no matter how nonpartisan, noncommittal, and even bland they tried to make it - which didn't provoke outrage from one or more of the bitterly opposed factions on their campus.

As a result, an ever growing number of universities - already now including Harvard, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern - have recently adopted the Chicago Principles about institutional neutrality.

In the wake of this dramatic reversal of policy, college presidents are also beginning to realize several other factors which are pressuring them to remain in their own lane by refraining from issuing comments which often simply reflect their own individual feelings.
In summary, university presidents are increasingly coming to see that fostering scholarly research and reasoned dialogue about controversial issues and events is much better than trying to walk through the labyrinth of landmines they face in trying to craft statements which please everyone and anger or offend no one, says Banzhaf.

In this way, universities may be getting out of the business of telling the public what to think, and back into the business of educating students and teaching them how to think, he says.

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