When it comes to free speech, Pennsylvania universities don’t shine. According to a new report, the University of Pennsylvania is the second-worst college in the country for free speech, ahead only of Columbia University.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech advocacy group, released its third annual College Free Speech Rankings of over 200 colleges, and few Pennsylvania colleges stood out.
The best Pennsylvania college on the list, Bucknell University, placed 48th.
FIRE ranked schools based on openness to “discussing challenging topics on campus,” along with tolerating controversial speakers, how well college administrators protect free speech, student self-censorship, openness to protests, and a college’s speech policies.
The rest of the Pennsylvania schools were:
Carnegie Mellon, 57th.Temple, 74th.Penn State, 107th.Pittsburgh, 108th.Drexel, 112th.Gettysburg College, 140th.Haverford College, 191st.Penn, 202nd.
Not all Pennsylvania colleges were ranked, such as ones within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Though they aren’t ranked, FIRE rates many of them on its website for their speech codes.
FIRE noted that only 40% of students rarely or never self-censor on Penn’s campus.
“One thing that they could do … some of the better-performing schools make it very clear that they’re supportive of speech rights,” said Sean Stevens, a senior research fellow for FIRE. “Taking a clear stance that you support expression, speech rights, that you will defend a speaker in controversy, some of this could be done through making a public show of revising the policies.”
FIRE has people “who would happily work with administrators” to improve speech codes and campus culture, he noted.
The problems go beyond Penn’s written speech policies. One Penn student noted how they were criticized for inaction.
“There was an anti-gun protest. I believe in responsible gun ownership, so I did not attend,” the student reported to FIRE. “Other students labeled me as someone who advocates for school shootings because I was not participating. A group of protesters harassed me verbally while I was minding my own business on a bench.”
While Penn stands out for its poor performance, many students at other Pennsylvania colleges self-censor and avoid talking about controversial topics.
“In almost every instance I felt my opinions were not welcome because they were different than what was deemed acceptable on campus,” one student at Penn State reported to FIRE. “I always feel like I have to stay quiet or suffer consequences from my teachers and peers because of what I believe.”
Student testimonials for why they self-censored had left-wing and right-wing motivations, though conservative students tended to self-censor more. While 42% of conservatives felt they couldn’t freely express their opinions, only 13% of liberals said the same.
For prospective students, Stevens suggested that they compare colleges based on their speech culture and “draw their own conclusions.”
* Article from: justthenews.com