Good Campus Relations and Freedom of Speech

Promoting Freedom of Speech and Good Campus Relations Sector Roundtables

The project brought together senior leaders from a number of UK institutions for 5 roundtable conversations focusing on different perspectives:  

• Academic freedom 

• Employment and employment law 

• Advancing of EDI and good relations – protection from harm and protection of freedom of speech 

• Relationship with student unions 

• Leadership, governance and regulation 

The roundtables enabled frank conversations, with a number of leaders acknowledging areas of vulnerability in relation to their institution’s preparedness to deal with issues relating to freedom of speech and good relations. Several common themes emerged throughout the different discussions: 

• A welcoming of the shift from protecting free speech and academic freedom to a more active and visible promotion within the sector. 

• A recognition of the need to create a culture where free speech and academic freedom co-exist with work to promote good campus relations and EDI initiatives, including zero tolerance towards bullying or harassment. Such agendas are inter-related but often perceived to sit in tension with one another.  

• A recognition of the responsibility of institutions to equip and support students to encounter course content, discussions, or views that they may find challenging, offensive or unacceptable, and of the role and responsibility of institutional leaders to promote open dialogue across campuses, particularly when discussing controversial issues.  

• Ongoing questions over legal landscape regarding free speech and academic freedom. The existing landscape is complex and, as such, there is often confusion when deciding how universities should navigate seemingly overlapping and / or competing duties. 

• Varying levels of preparedness and confidence to deal with issues of freedom of speech across the sector. Some examples of action to introduce, develop, or strengthen initiatives which outline the importance of academic freedom and free speech to students and staff, but not in every institution.  

• The need for further guidance to support institutions – and students’ unions – to manage issues relating to freedom of speech, academic freedom and good relations.

Key challenges, topics, recommendations and emerging practice from the roundtables have been collated into a short briefing paper.

Following the workshops, the project partners identified a number of possible outputs. The following will be developed by Advance HE as member benefits: 

• A summary of the conversations from the roundtable conversations in the format of a ‘Challenges and Solutions’ checklist (UK member benefit) 

• Refreshing our ‘Promoting Good Relations on Campus’ guidance (UK member benefit) 

• Training to accompany the ‘Promoting Good Relations on Campus’ Guidance (UK member benefit) 

• A webinar exploring global issues relating to freedom of speech and good relations and sharing innovative practice (international member benefit) 

Webinar - Building inclusive campus communities: Exploring good relations and freedom of speech

Thursday 15 June, 14:00 - 16:00 BST

Promoting an inclusive and respectful environment where students and staff from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to engage with and learn from one another is a key objective for universities around the world. Central to this are the promotion of good relations between different communities and the upholding of academic freedom and freedom of expression.

This webinar aimed to explore how HEIs can protect and promote diversity of thought, academic enquiry and freedom of expression whilst simultaneously fostering an environment of respect, support and inclusion for students and staff.

To achieve this, Advance HE Consultant, Robiu Salisu was joined by an expert panel to discuss how HEIs from across the globe are supporting good relations on campus and academic freedom as central building blocks. The panellists considered how their cultural contexts shape institutional approaches and strategies towards promoting open and respectful dialogue across diverse communities. They also provided participants with practical approaches and insights to inform and support the development of approaches that they can apply within their institutions.

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Speakers include:

Freedom of speech in higher education: podcast

In this podcast, Advance HE's Director of EDI, David Bass and Adam Dawkins from the University of York discuss the challenges around freedom of speech, academic freedom and EDI and the complexities surrounding this within the context of the UK government's new Freedom of Speech bill.