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Heterodox Academy

Institutional Neutrality

University of Chicago Library

By adopting institutional neutrality, universities signal their dedication to debate, viewpoint diversity, and the pursuit of knowledge rather than undermining academic dialogue with political statements.

The Need for Institutional Neutrality

In recent years, when a controversy over a hot-button social or political issue arises, many college and university leaders have made statements of support, opposition, solidarity, or concern. But such statements may actually prevent a college or university from fulfilling its special purpose: as a place where individuals can argue for or against a wide range of views, and where just one voice of unpopular dissent can make everyone smarter and wiser.

When an institution of higher education takes a stand on a social controversy, undesirable and unintended consequences can follow:

  • Chilling or punishing students and professors who disagree with the “official position” of the institution;

  • Discouraging curiosity and open-minded exploration of this topic, because there’s already a “right answer”;

  • Wasting time, money, and attention to produce statements that are unrelated to the institution’s main mission; and

  • Undermining prestige and public trust, as the college or university becomes perceived as a political actor rather than a shared resource for pluralistic democracy.

As the University of Chicago’s Kalven Report advised, “The instrument of dissent and criticism is the individual faculty member or the individual student. The university is the home and sponsor of critics; it is not itself the critic.” When higher education institutions are neutral on social and political issues, their scholars and students can be anything but.

Today, the idea of institutional neutrality is experiencing a revival.

When a social or political controversy captures public attention, a college or university has a unique opportunity to elevate and improve public debate. Its scholars can articulate and defend their expert opinions. Its campus can host thoughtful discussions. Its students, faculty, and staff can freely formulate and express novel views that enrich the range of possibilities to be considered.

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The HxA Model of Statement Neutrality

This resource is prepared by Heterodox Academy (HxA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement in higher education. Not every HxA member endorses neutrality in college or university statements, and some may prefer different formulations than the one presented here. Still, we hope this resource proves useful to institutions considering adopting a policy of statement neutrality.

Fight for Institutional Neutrality

Heterodox Academy has joined with the Academic Freedom Alliance and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression to issue open letters in February 2024 and July 2024 urging universities to adopt institutional neutrality policies on political and social issues that do not concern core academic matters or institutional operations.

Some universities, no doubt chastened by experience, have done what we urged them to do and adopted the principle of institutional neutrality on disputed political issues. These include prestigious universities such as Harvard, Stanford, SyracusePurdue, and more.

By committing to the principles of institutional neutrality, these universities signal their dedication to debate, diversity of opinion, and the pursuit of knowledge. They also protect themselves from accusations of political bias and disincentivize outside forces from pressuring them to take sides on complex political problems on behalf of the entire campus community. These schools are choosing, as the University of Chicago’s 1967 “Kalven Report” states, to act as the “home and sponsor of critics” rather than the critic itself and building an arena for students and faculty to debate the issues of the day.

We stand ready to support universities in their pursuit of institutional neutrality and assist those that have pledged to stay true to their principles. Join the fight for institutional neutrality and urge institutional leaders to adopt neutrality today.

Adoptions of Institutional Neutrality

After our joint call with AFA and FIRE urging universities to adopt institutional neutrality in February 2024, more than 120 universities have adopted policies of statement neutrality or institutional restraint. Below is a list of those institutions.

  1. University of British Columbia Okanagan - 02/29/2024
  2. Western Kentucky University - 03/25/2024
  3. University of Toronto - 04/26/2024
  4. Syracuse University - 05/07/2024
  5. University of Oregon - 05/10/2024
  6. Harvard University - 05/28/2024
  7. Stanford University - 05/30/2024
  8. UC Davis - 06/05/2024
  9. Purdue University - 06/10/2024
  10. Appalachian State University - 06/28/2024
  11. East Carolina University - 06/28/2024
  12. Elizabeth City State University - 06/28/2024
  13. Fayetteville State University - 06/28/2024
  14. North Carolina A&T State University - 06/28/2024
  15. North Carolina Central University - 06/28/2024
  16. North Carolina State University - 06/28/2024
  17. UNC Asheville - 06/28/2024
  18. UNC Chapel Hill - 06/28/2024
  19. UNC Charlotte - 06/28/2024
  20. UNC Greensboro - 06/28/2024
  21. UNC Pembroke - 06/28/2024
  22. UNC Wilmington - 06/28/2024
  23. Western Carolina University - 06/28/2024
  24. Winston-Salem State University - 06/28/2024
  25. McGill University - 08/08/2024
  26. University of Virginia - 08/13/2024
  27. Johns Hopkins University - 08/15/2024
  28. Ohio State University - 08/17/2024
  29. Emerson College - 08/20/2024
  30. University of Kentucky - 08/20/2024
  31. USC - 08/20/2024
  32. Stephen F. Austin State University - 08/23/2024
  33. Tulane University - 08/23/2024
  34. UT Arlington - 08/23/2024
  35. UT Dallas - 08/23/2024
  36. UT El Paso - 08/23/2024
  37. UT Permian Basin - 08/23/2024
  38. UT San Antonio - 08/23/2024
  39. UT Tyler - 08/23/2024
  40. UT Health Science Center Houston - 08/23/2024
  41. UT Health Science Center San Antonio - 08/23/2024
  42. UT MD Anderson Cancer Center - 08/23/2024
  43. UT Medical Branch at Galveston - 08/23/2024
  44. UT Rio Grande Valley - 08/23/2024
  45. UT Southwestern Medical Center - 08/23/2024
  46. UT Austin - 08/23/2024
  47. Cornell University - 08/26/2024
  48. UC Boulder - 08/28/2024
  49. Haverford College - 08/28/2024
  50. Amherst College - 09/04/2024
  51. University of Alabama - 09/05/2024
  52. UAB - 09/05/2024
  53. UA Huntsville - 09/05/2024
  54. Simon Fraser University - 09/09/2024
  55. University of Pennsylvania - 09/10/2024
  56. Barnard College - 09/11/2024
  57. UCLA - 09/12/2024
  58. University of Wisconsin Eau Claire - 09/12/2024
  59. University of Wisconsin Green Bay - 09/12/2024
  60. University of Wisconsin La Crosse - 09/12/2024
  61. University of Wisconsin Madison - 09/12/2024
  62. University of Wisconsin Milwaukee - 09/12/2024
  63. University of Wisconsin Oshkosh - 09/12/2024
  64. University of Wisconsin Parkside - 09/12/2024
  65. University of Wisconsin Platteville - 09/12/2024
  66. University of Wisconsin River Falls - 09/12/2024
  67. University of Wisconsin Stevens Point - 09/12/2024
  68. University of Wisconsin Stout - 09/12/2024
  69. University of Wisconsin Whitewater - 09/12/2024
  70. IU Bloomington - 09/13/2024
  71. IU Columbus - 09/13/2024
  72. IU East - 09/13/2024
  73. IU Fort Wayne - 09/13/2024
  74. IU Kokomo - 09/13/2024
  75. IU Northwest - 09/13/2024
  76. IU South Bend - 09/13/2024
  77. IU Southeast - 09/13/2024
  78. IUPUI - 09/13/2024
  79. Washington State University - 09/13/2024
  80. Queen's University - 09/19/2024
  81. Texas A&M University - 09/23/2024
  82. Texas Woman's University - 09/23/2024
  83. Northwestern University - 09/27/2024
  84. Louisiana State University - 10/10/2024
  85. University of Michigan - 10/17/2024
  86. Clark University - 10/20/2024
  87. University of Iowa - 10/28/2024
  88. UMass Amherst - 10/28/2024
  89. Yale University - 10/31/2024
  90. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College - 11/12/2024
  91. Albany State University - 11/12/2024
  92. Atlanta Metropolitan State College - 11/12/2024
  93. Augusta University - 11/12/2024
  94. Clayton State University - 11/12/2024
  95. College of Coastal Georgia - 11/12/2024
  96. Columbus State University - 11/12/2024
  97. Dalton State College - 11/12/2024
  98. East Georgia State College - 11/12/2024
  99. Fort Valley State University - 11/12/2024
  100. Georgia College & State University - 11/12/2024
  101. Georgia Gwinnett College - 11/12/2024
  102. Georgia Highlands College - 11/12/2024
  103. Georgia Tech - 11/12/2024
  104. Georgia Southern University - 11/12/2024
  105. Georgia Southwestern State University - 11/12/2024
  106. Georgia State University - 11/12/2024
  107. Gordon State College - 11/12/2024
  108. Kennesaw State University - 11/12/2024
  109. Middle Georgia State University - 11/12/2024
  110. Savannah State University - 11/12/2024
  111. South Georgia State College - 11/12/2024
  112. University of Georgia - 11/12/2024
  113. University of North Georgia - 11/12/2024
  114. University of West Georgia - 11/12/2024
  115. Valdosta State University - 11/12/2024
  116. Michigan State University - 12/04/2024
  117. George Mason University - 12/05/2024
  118. Colgate University - 12/10/2024
  119. Dartmouth College - 12/10/2024

John Tomasi speaks with Jaimie Kalven on Institutional Neutrality

They delve into the Kalven Report of 1967 from the University of Chicago. This landmark report sought to balance the preservation of academic freedom with the responsibility to uphold the university's mission and values. The report's nuanced approach is examined in the context of Harry Kalven’s legacy, a key figure in First Amendment jurisprudence. They also analyze the report's implications for addressing contentious political issues within academia.

John Tomasi speaks with Nadine Stossen & Keith Whittington

The 2023-24 academic year began with political statements. At Harvard and Cornell, these were followed by clarifying statements, and at Stanford there was a new interest in not making statements at all. In this webinar, Tomasi, Stossen, and Whittington discuss the costs to university cultures of inquiry when leaders weigh in on political controversies, and how institutional neutrality as advocated in the Kalven Report and the Princeton Principles can offer a better path forward. 

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