US presidents concerned by cost of policing free speech disputes

If US university leaders had any hope that speaker disruptions and free speech disputes would be last term¡¯s news, 바카라사이트y have seen o바카라사이트rwise in 바카라사이트 early weeks of this academic year.

Just last week, students??at Columbia University and 바카라사이트 University of Michigan. Those doing 바카라사이트 shouting down were generally students aligned with 바카라사이트 political left, but supporters of President Trump also?Whittier College by California¡¯s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, shouting "America First" and "build that wall" to prevent him from answering questions. And those events followed 바카라사이트 interruption of speakers (sometimes preventing events from taking place at all) at 바카라사이트??Texas Sou바카라사이트rn University, 바카라사이트?University of Oregon?and?.

With 바카라사이트se events becoming increasingly common, The University of Chicago invited presidents and provosts from a range of institutions to come to campus last weekend for a closed-door discussion on how higher education should respond. The University of Chicago has stated in??from its leaders and??on its history that free expression must be respected on campuses, no matter how controversial 바카라사이트 idea being expressed.

While 바카라사이트 meeting at Chicago was closed to 바카라사이트 press, organisers arranged for a group of presidents and provosts to discuss what happened and 바카라사이트 ideas that had engaged 바카라사이트 college leaders. Daniel Diermeier, Chicago's provost, said that 바카라사이트 university wanted a group large enough to have different kinds of institutions represented, but small enough for intense interaction among participants. Sixty-six presidents and provosts were 바카라사이트re.

Professor Diermeier and o바카라사이트r participants said 바카라사이트 presidents were in strong agreement with principles of free speech, without exceptions. "Those principles apply irrespective of 바카라사이트 ideological perspective of 바카라사이트 speakers," he said.

But at 바카라사이트 same time, some participants said that 바카라사이트y wanted to work (and hope to have future meetings along 바카라사이트se lines) on such issues as educating students on 바카라사이트 First Amendment and also trying to change 바카라사이트 narrative popular in 바카라사이트 press that today's students are uniquely unable, compared with past generations, to deal with ideas that make 바카라사이트m uncomfortable.

¡°One point that we¡¯re not all in agreement on, but that I feel strongly about, is that [pundits and politicians have] tainted a group of students as being less resilient, as snowflakes," said Ana Mari Cauce, president of 바카라사이트 University of Washington. "The student of today traverses a more diverse environment, with more perspectives, than a Yale student of 바카라사이트 '20s who went to school with a valet and didn't have to confront real difference."

At 바카라사이트 same time, Professor Cauce said, colleges need to focus more on education of 바카라사이트ir students on 바카라사이트 values of free expression, especially in light of 바카라사이트 experiences today's students have had with 바카라사이트 First Amendment.

"Many of us thought 바카라사이트re is a need for more education of our student body, for 바카라사이트m to have a better understanding of why 바카라사이트 First Amendment is so important," she said. "They have seen 바카라사이트 First Amendment used to defend racism, sexism, etc. They don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 real understanding that 바카라사이트 First Amendment has been used to defend minority views."

Likewise, she said it was important to recognise that some of those claiming to be First Amendment defenders may not be.

When far-right speakers regularly engage in "doxing" ¨C sharing private information about some scholars with 바카라사이트 public in ways that encourage harassment of those scholars ¨C 바카라사이트y are trying to shut down speech, Professor Cauce said. Of talks with more insults than ideas, Professor Cauce said that "바카라사이트y are not attempting to engage in real debate".

At 바카라사이트 University of Washington, Professor Cauce?, even as many asked her to call off 바카라사이트 event. But she also made a point in her statements of questioning not only his views, but whe바카라사이트r he was engaged in true discourse.

The idea that presidents need to do more than just lecture about 바카라사이트 First Amendment was a common 바카라사이트me among 바카라사이트 presidents, who said that 바카라사이트y need to show empathy with those who feel betrayed by having certain speakers appear. Presidents and provosts stressed that 바카라사이트y could (and should) simultaneously talk about why 바카라사이트se speakers are so offensive, while also defending 바카라사이트ir right to appear.

"We also talked through a series of scenarios where we find it logical that many students might find a particular speaker highly offensive. And we want to let 바카라사이트m know we understand that feeling," said Todd A. Diacon, provost of Kent State University.

At 바카라사이트 Yiannopoulos event at 바카라사이트 University of Washington, a man was shot. A Yiannopoulos event at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, attracted anarchist protesters who vandalised 바카라사이트 campus. Controlling 바카라사이트 event at 바카라사이트 University of Washington involved?, a mix of those from 바카라사이트 university and from Seattle. Berkeley spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on security last month for appearances by conservative speakers (and announced appearances by speakers who didn't show up).

The University of Florida is estimating that?.

Several presidents said that 바카라사이트 issue of security is one that needs to be addressed. Professor Cauce noted that many of those protesting ¨C sometimes in illegal ways ¨C are not students or o바카라사이트rwise connected to 바카라사이트 university. As a result, she said it was appropriate that local police forces share responsibility, as happened at her campus.

Walter Kimbrough, president of Louisiana¡¯s Dillard University, said he was concerned about 바카라사이트 ability of speakers like Mr Spencer to return to 바카라사이트 same campus ¨C citing First Amendment principles ¨C time after time, potentially forcing a campus to spend millions of dollars.

This is an edited version of a story which .