In recent years, politicians in a number of states (all of them “red”), have adopted measures to rein in what they regard as excesses on the campuses they fund and oversee. Naturally, the “progressives” who run the campuses and who instigate those excesses — turning away from plain old college education toward ideological indoctrination — are complaining. “They’re taking away our academic freedom! They’re interfering in our business!”
In today’s Martin Center article, Professor George La Noue ponders that situation. If, for example, a state legislature bans the use of “diversity statements” in faculty hiring, is that proper oversight or intolerable meddling?
“Reconciling university autonomy with colleges’ necessary accountability to democratically elected governments requires considerable nuance. Not all campus rules can be made by the administrators and faculty on a campus at a particular time. On the other hand, few politicians have the time or knowledge to respond to the myriad issues affecting a campus,” he writes.
Professor La Noue doesn’t want to see politicians embroiling themselves in the daily operations of public colleges and universities, but recognizes that higher-education administrators invite that when they won’t properly manage their affairs. If they won’t protect freedom of speech on campus from the woke zealots, they should expect the state to step in.
His conclusion: “By protecting free speech and practicing institutional political neutrality, education leaders can best protect campus autonomy, giving legislatures and courts little reason to intervene.”
In other words, start acting responsibly.