Free Speech on Campus
February 12, 2019
Dear Members of the Boston University Community,
Freedom of expression is a foundational guiding principle for an enduring democracy; it is both a check on power and a means to foster robust discourse. The Supreme Court has written that this freedom is “the matrix, the indispensable condition, of nearly every other form of freedom.” American higher education has benefitted profoundly from strong constitutional protections that have provided our campuses with unmatched scope for intellectual inquiry and an environment where ideas can be tested and sharpened in an atmosphere of serious but collegial debate.
In times in which there are deep divisions in society, the commitment to free expression is tested. As we observe events both on campuses and in the broader society, I believe it is reasonable to suggest we are in such a time. Today, universities across the country confront the challenge of maintaining a commitment to freedom of expression and inquiry while working to provide an inclusive and nondiscriminatory learning and living environment for all students, as well as a welcoming and supportive environment for faculty and staff.
I believe it is timely and necessary that Boston University develop a set of University-wide policies that articulate and affirm our commitment to freedom of expression on campus. At my request, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer Jean Morrison has formed two committees to help develop a clear and consistent institutional voice on this issue. The committees have distinct charges but will work closely together and interact regularly. The first, the Free Speech Policy Committee, is charged with developing a statement that describes and affirms the University’s commitment to free speech. Provost Morrison will cochair this committee with Erika Geetter, Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of the Board of Trustees.
The second committee, the Free Speech Operations Committee, will review and revise existing University policies and practices related to speech and expression on campus. These policies cover a wide variety of areas, ranging from residence hall rules to procedures for hosting guest speakers on campus. The Operations Committee will work closely with the Policy Committee to ensure that the operational practices align with the University’s overall statement on free speech. I want to thank Kenneth Elmore, Associate Provost and Dean of Students, and Rebecca Ginzburg, Associate General Counsel, for their willingness to cochair the Free Speech Operations Committee.
Throughout the spring semester, we will offer opportunities for members of the Boston University community to provide feedback through a series of listening sessions and focus groups. As listening sessions are scheduled, they will be advertised to the University community and listed on the committees’ website. Additionally, the website itself will have a portal by which community members may submit suggestions and comments to the committees at any time.
The work that these committees will undertake is complex, challenging, and, for many in our community, deeply personal. I am grateful to the members of these committees for being willing to take on this work and thank them in advance for the time and effort they will dedicate to this process.
I anticipate that the Free Speech Committees will conduct their work through this semester and into the early fall, when the proposed statement on free speech and accompanying policy revisions will be presented to University Council and Administrative Council for review and ratification. I look forward to the results of this work and to the participation of all members of our community as we begin this important conversation.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Brown
President
Free Speech Policy Committee Members
Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer, cochair
Erika Geetter, Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of the Board of Trustees, cochair
Tom Fiedler, Dean, College of Communication
Carrie Preston, Director, Kilachand Honors College; Professor of English and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Robert Volk, Associate Professor of Legal Writing; Director of Legal Writing and Appellate Advocacy Program
Jay Wexler, Professor of Law
Crystal Williams, Associate Provost for Diversity & Inclusion
Rebecca Ginzburg, Associate General Counsel, ex officio representative of Free Speech Operations Committee
Kenneth Elmore, Associate Provost and Dean of Students, ex officio representative of Free Speech Operations Committee
Staff: Laura Jenks, Chief of Staff, Office of the University Provost
Free Speech Operations Committee Members
Kenneth Elmore, Associate Provost and Dean of Students, cochair
Rebecca Ginzburg, Associate General Counsel, cochair
Shane Cutler, General Manager, Events & Conferences
Cataldo Leone, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Professor of Periodontology and Molecular & Cell Biology
Kim Randall, Executive Director of Equal Opportunity and University Title IX Coordinator
Tricia Sheehan, Executive Director of Talent Management, Human Resources
Brother Larry Whitney, University Chaplain for Community Life
David Zamojski, Assistant Dean of Students; Director of Residence Life
Staff: Dan Solworth, Chief of Staff and Director of Operations, Office of the Dean of Students