I continue to be amazed at the controversy that a call for civility has provoked in the halls of academe. Chancellor Nicholas Dirks of the University of California at Berkeley sent an email to faculty and students asking them to honor the 50th anniversary of the free speech movement on campus with a focus on civility. Bloggers immediately went on social media and attacked Chancellor Dirks, indicating that his email was a direct attempt to limit free speech and academic freedom, two basic tenets of higher education.
Free Inquiry and Expression: From Principles to Educational Practice
Hundreds of colleges and universities have adopted free expression and institutional speech documents from the University of Chicago. In 1899, the University of Chicago faculty unanimously resolved that complete freedom
Leila Brammer
September 7, 2026
