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A new survey from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and College Pulse found that while support for freedom of expression varies widely across colleges, this year perceived freedom of speech is on the decline. From January 25 to June 17, 2024, College Pulse surveyed more than 58,000 undergrads from 257 different universities, to understand their perceptions of free speech on their campuses.
To determine their free speech ranking, universities were scored on 14 different components. Seven assessed students’ perceptions of different aspects of the campus’ speech climate – like comfort expressing different ideas, tolerance for liberal/conservative speakers, etc. Others assessed behavior by administrators, faculty, and students regarding campus free expression; for example, if a speaker event was cancelled, or a student group was sanctioned, the college’s score went down. The higher the score, the better the campus climate for free speech.
What they found: The top three campuses supporting free speech are University of Virginia (73.41 overall score), Michigan Technological University (73.15), and Florida State University (72.46). Conversely, Harvard remains at the bottom of the list for the second consecutive year, with a score of 0.008. Columbia (tied with Harvard, at 0.008) and NYU (3.33) round out the bottom three.
Students also reported a decline in both perceived and actual freedom of expression in higher education. A considerable number of students (42%) either doubt or question their university’s dedication to preserving free speech. This uncertainty can lead to self-censorship among students, hindering open expression of opinions.
Not only is administrative support ambiguous, but efforts to prevent speakers from engaging on campus are at a five-year high (52%), and the acceptance of violence as a response to unwelcome speech has increased to 32% among students (up from 27% in 2023 and 20% in 2022).
After a turbulent spring semester marked by campus protests, it’s not surprising that students thought the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was the most challenging topic to broach on campus, with 55% of students finding it difficult to have open, honest conversations about. This suggests a fear of backlash, isolation, or disciplinary measures for expressing certain viewpoints on this issue – followed by abortion (45% say it’s difficult to discuss honestly), transgender rights (41%), and gun control and racial inequality (both at 36%).
When students feel unable to openly debate sensitive political and social issues, their opportunities for critical thinking, learning, and personal development suffer. This school year, undergrads and college administrators alike should commit to supporting open dialogue – to foster the best learning environments possible.
Read the full report here.
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