Today, Harvard University announced that it will adopt policies of institutional neutrality in statements on public affairs that are unrelated to the core function of the university, defending the principle that a university is a place for robust scholarly discussion – not top-down answers that chill expression and disagreement.

“Harvard has taken an important step to broaden and expand academic debate,” said HxA president John Tomasi. “Universities are at their best when they host enriching debates instead of crudely picking a side. I hope colleges and universities around the world will follow Harvard’s example.”

The report emphasizes that university leaders must not issue statements about public affairs that do not directly impact the core function of the university. “The university’s leaders are hired for their skill in leading an institution of higher education, not their expertise in public affairs,” the report states. “When speaking in their official roles, therefore, they should restrict themselves to matters within their area of institutional expertise and responsibility: the running of a university.”

Harvard also now recognizes that official positional statements by the university restrict viewpoint diversity – a core value that Heterodox Academy believes enriches the university environment. “Given the diversity of viewpoints within the university, choosing a side, or appearing to do so can undermine the inclusivity of the university community,” the report continues. “It may make it more difficult for some members of the community to express their views when they differ from the university’s official position.”

Earlier this year, Heterodox Academy joined with FIRE and the Academic Freedom Alliance in calling on all colleges and universities to adopt institutional neutrality. HxA later released Extraordinary U: The HxA Model of Statement Neutrality, which – like Harvard’s recent internal review – distinguished neutrality in public statements from complex questions of financial investments and related matters.