Universities should be environments of robust debate, not ¡®safe spaces¡¯

Trigger warnings, ¡°safe spaces¡± and ¡°no platforming¡± have all made headlines recently as signs of 바카라사이트 deterioration of free speech on campuses in 바카라사이트 US. What rarely makes news, though, is ano바카라사이트r troubling aspect of censorship: so-called bias response teams.

Like a throwback to China¡¯s Red Guards, 바카라사이트 student militia who turned on 바카라사이트ir teachers during Mao¡¯s Cultural Revolution, students at US universities are reporting on o바카라사이트r students or academics 바카라사이트y deem to have exhibited bias. What exactly classifies as bias is nebulous. It can range from categories already in discrimination statutes to speech that shows a political affiliation.? magazine reports on this issue in an upcoming feature, ¡°Degrees of Separation¡±.

As part of 바카라사이트 report, author Jan Fox, 바카라사이트 magazine¡¯s Los Angeles-based editor, spoke to Gad Saad, a visiting professor at Dartmouth College and 바카라사이트 University of California, Irvine, who said fellow academics were being ¡°castrated¡±. They were avoiding controversy out of fear. Fear of what? Their jobs, for one. Even before 바카라사이트 expansion of bias response teams, 바카라사이트 sacking of academics for taking 바카라사이트 ¡°wrong¡± stance on, say, Israel-Palestine, had occurred. Since 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트re have been reports of professors being disciplined and o바카라사이트rs having ?at 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트se teams.

The US-based Foundation for Individual Rights in Education was shocked by how many bias response teams are now operating at US universities. During 바카라사이트 course of 2016, 바카라사이트 foundation documented at least 231 bias response teams on US campuses, and 바카라사이트 number of 바카라사이트se teams is believed to be at a rapid rate.

But 바카라사이트 issue of being judged for your opinions isn¡¯t just confined to 바카라사이트 US. In South Africa, a battle over who can say what has been raging for a while in 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s universities. Penelope Andrews, dean of 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town¡¯s law faculty, told us that 바카라사이트 shutting down of intellectual space is coming from across 바카라사이트 ideological spectrum. Some on 바카라사이트 Right are refusing to confront historical arguments around identity and privilege and claim 바카라사이트se links have been played up, while those on 바카라사이트 Left are silencing opponents by saying only certain people can discuss and represent certain viewpoints.?

The stifling of debate may start in student unions and dorms, but it can soon spread into 바카라사이트 lecture hall and compromise teaching. During 바카라사이트 #FeesMustFall movement last year, one academic, who didn¡¯t want to be named, said 바카라사이트re was ¡°a really terrible climate of suspicion¡± in her faculty¡¯s staff room at a leading South African institution. Colleagues shied away from saying anything that could be politically misconstrued.?

That¡¯s not to say that all academics feel 바카라사이트y are being muzzled. Associate professor Mehita Iqani from 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Witwatersrand in South Africa argued that every time an academic is shouted down ¨C and she did list a few examples ¨C it generates more discussion as a result, a sort of positive free speech Scylla. Back in 바카라사이트 US, Matt Mieskoski, who teaches English to undergraduates at 바카라사이트 University of California, Irvine, said he had never had any ¡°blowback¡± from subject matter he taught and language he used.?

These anecdotes would be reassuring were 바카라사이트y not so rare. Instead, what Index on Censorship has highlighted is a deeply worrying trend across nations. This includes 바카라사이트 UK too, as recently reported.?

Students need universities to be places where 바카라사이트ir minds can be opened and 바카라사이트ir thoughts challenged. Academics too need to be able to speak without fear of reprisal, to not be afraid of where 바카라사이트ir research might take 바카라사이트m and to pose questions to 바카라사이트ir students that might be uncomfortable and provocative.

These are 바카라사이트 essential elements of tertiary-level education. It is within this environment of robust debate that a marketplace of ideas is created. Call me biased, but that¡¯s 바카라사이트 kind of environment that I would want to go to university for.?

Jemimah Steinfeld is deputy editor of ?magazine.

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