Silent classrooms

Speech codes dull academia's vibrancy

As at the University, many colleges and universities nationwide find themselves in an environment of required political correctness. Students are more often than not dictating the tone and atmosphere of classes, as professors are chilled by threats of lawsuits and investigations. But things in academia might be changing. The University of Wisconsin at Madison, known as one of the most politically correct institutions, is in the process of rewriting its faculty speech code. Established in 1981 along with a "hate speech" code aimed at students, Wisconsin's speech code strictly regulates faculty with regard to acceptable classroom discussion. In a move to emerge from an era of political correctness, the university is moving to narrow the code, and rightly so.

During James Duderstadt's tenure as president, the University established a similar speaker "hate speech" code, but it was struck down by a federal judge as unconstitutional. While Wisconsin's student code faced a similar fate, the faculty speech code remained intact. The code limits the speech of faculty and can punish those who are found to be in violation. Since its advent, not a single professor was formally investigated under the code, but several professors have been informally investigated following allegations that they made offensive remarks. Many faculty members, administrators and students have since complained that even the presence of a code has chilled their ability to speak freely.

The world of academia should be the last place where people feel that their speech is stifled. The idea of a code, in essence, is not unwarranted nor somewhat necessary. Demeaning comments based on gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability belong nowhere, and blatantly inciteful, harmful or derogatory comments should never be part of a learning environment. But to limit a classroom discussion to non-controversial topics is to limit the power of thought and speech.

Under Madison's current code, students who are offended simply by the presentation or subject matter of an issue involving race or gender, for example, can accuse the professor of violating the code. This would then spark an investigation, which not only puts the professor on edge but could also influence the subject matter of that professor's course for the next term or year. Clearly, professors should demean individual students or entire classrooms, but there should not be a preventive policy in store - this only works to chill speech.

If a speech code is to exist it should focus on academic freedom, which was not even mentioned in Madison's original code. The revisions proposed should by no means allow professors to speak in offensive or demeaning manners, but it should allow controversial topics to be addressed and sensitive issues to be analyzed. Lawsuits and reputation-damaging allegations have quelled the vibrancy of academia, only working to chill speech nationwide. Madison is moving in the right direction by narrowing the scope of its speech code. Political correctness should not control the environment of a university - free speech and original thought should.

11-25-98