In December 2020, President Farnam Jahanian charged this commission to explore and clarify the university’s commitment to academic freedom and freedom of expression in a contemporary context.
In addition to exploring matters related to university policies and practices, the commission's charge included creating forums through which students, faculty and staff can explore the meaning and inherent value of both these principles, including how they are distinct and the ways in which they collectively support our academic mission.
The commission's final report and recommendations were shared with the university community in October 2022 through a message from President Jahanian.
Implemented Commission Recommendations
Implementation Steering Committee
Constituted an Implementation Steering Committee headed by the Provost to follow through on the commission’s recommendations.
Advocate for Academic Freedom/Freedom of Expression
Hired an advocate for Academic Freedom/Freedom of Expression (AF/FoE) (the Student and Faculty Ombudsperson) to serve as a resource on AF/FoE for the campus community.
Education and Training Activities
Formulated and implemented activities for education and training, including a speaker series representing diverse views; an assessment of existing and new courses related to AF/FoE; and additional opportunities for engagement.
Hiring Decisions
While reaffirming unit-level decision making around hiring, the Implementation Committee made changes to address situations in which hiring decisions made by one unit can create harm to the wider university.
Core University Values
We continue to articulate AF/FoE as a core university value, along with the idea that AF/FoE is complementary to ensuring mutual respect and inclusion.
Policy on Policy Development
Following the procedures set out in the existing Policy on Policy Development, we continue to consider the commission's suggested changes to amend three university policies: those on Freedom of Expression, the Policy on Separation of Individual’s and Institution’s Interests, and the Code of Business Ethics and Conduct.
Keith E. Whittington, Ph.D.
William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Politics
Princeton University
Randall L. Kennedy, J.D.
Michael R. Klein Professor of Law
Harvard Law School
Sigal Ben-Porath, Ph.D.
Professor of Education, University of Pennsylvania
Author of Free Speech on Campus (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017)
Erwin Chemerinsky, J.D.
Dean, University of California Berkeley School of Law
Author of Free Speech on Campus (Yale University Press, 2017)