Rutgers University

Rutgers has drawn national attention for the controversies surrounding free expression and academic freedom on our campuses. Across the University our leaders, faculty, unions, staff, and students express profound disagreement about what even constitutes support for academic freedom or the good-faith exchange of ideas. 

Rutgers Heterodox Academy Campus Community sees hearty and open dialog that embraces our dissent and disagreement as vital to the health of our community. But it cannot be met, at least not productively, without a spirit of intellectual humility, a willingness to listen to those with whom we disagree, and a respect for diversity of thought that necessarily crosses political and ideological divides. 

Censorship has been observed in many forms, from shouting others down, cancelling events and speakers, and labelling peaceful forms of expression as hate. But the most destructive form of all is the pernicious self-censorship that pervades our classrooms and departments for fear of the very real consequence of voicing difference. 

Rutgers' HxA Campus Community believes we all have something to learn by being curious rather than confrontational, by reasoning across divides, and by affirming our common humanity through the simple but not easy practice of allowing others to be wrong without having to hate them. All of this takes courage. Fortunately for Rutgers courage is one thing we Scarlet Knights have in abundance, and we look forward with optimism and hope to all we can accomplish together.