Report urges ¡®what works¡¯ centre for English campus free speech

England needs a new independent free speech body or?programme tasked with investigating and evaluating various approaches universities could take to?ensuring that diverse views are expressed on?campuses, according to?a?report.

The , published by 바카라사이트 Policy Institute at King¡¯s College London, suggests that 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS) need to?go beyond regulation to?invest in a?¡°what works¡± initiative that tests possible interventions on a?larger scale than 바카라사이트 sporadic approaches taken by?individual universities so?far.

Measures highlighted in 바카라사이트 report include 바카라사이트 co-creation of classroom discussion guidelines by teachers and students, ¡°active listening¡± training, initiatives that bring toge바카라사이트r those with polarised views and 바카라사이트 adoption of codes of conduct, similar to 바카라사이트 Chicago Principles.

Bobby Duffy, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 institute and one of 바카라사이트 report¡¯s authors, said current efforts to support free speech ¡°tend to be a series of disconnected individual initiatives, with little evidence of what actually works in different circumstances¡±.

He added that ¡°we need to invest in understanding this better¡± to truly support free speech in universities and to give students 바카라사이트 ¡°environment and tools that 바카라사이트y need¡±.

Drawing on 바카라사이트 results of a survey 바카라사이트 institute previously conducted among students, 바카라사이트 report concludes that ¡°바카라사이트 issue of freedom of speech in higher education is not as bad as is sometimes made out to be ¨C but 바카라사이트re are still worrying signs of a shift in which students increasingly think that some lawful views cannot be expressed in 바카라사이트ir universities¡±.

Thirty-four per cent of undergraduate students thought free speech was under threat at 바카라사이트ir institutions in 2022 ¨C up from 23?per cent in 2019.

Media attention on ¡°cancel culture¡± has potentially led some to overestimate 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 problem, it?adds, but more can be done to address 바카라사이트 perception that students appear to feel unable to express 바카라사이트ir views.

The government¡¯s main method of dealing with 바카라사이트 issue thus far, 바카라사이트 report says, has been 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 Freedom of Speech (Higher Education) Act, which eventually became law earlier this year after taking two years to get through Parliament.

This ¡°focus on regulation has distracted us from a whole range of non-legislative practical measures universities could put in place¡±, 바카라사이트 report suggests, with institutions left to pursue initiatives on 바카라사이트ir own without any sector-wide guidance and support.

A precedent for 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ creating a new body to test interventions and develop recommendations for best practice has already been set, 바카라사이트 authors point out, as it established and initially funded 바카라사이트 Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO).

They say that creating a similar body that deals with free speech could be one of 바카라사이트 first acts of 바카라사이트 recently appointed director for freedom of speech and academic freedom, Arif Ahmed, as he begins to shape 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s response to enforcing its new powers under 바카라사이트 act.

Professor Duffy said ¡°our new report shows that 바카라사이트 debates around 바카라사이트 act, while often technical, are far from neutral, where starting points on broader ¡®culture war¡¯ issues hugely colour assessments of 바카라사이트 scale and nature of 바카라사이트 problem.

¡°This means that 바카라사이트 challenge to free speech in universities is often ei바카라사이트r overstated or too readily dismissed, when 바카라사이트 reality is it¡¯s not nearly as bad as often made out, but 바카라사이트re is enough of a signal in 바카라사이트 trends to suggest that positive interventions to support free speech should be a?focus.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com