The fine line between providing campus security and allowing for free speech
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College students are trickling back onto campuses for the fall semester just months after protests exploded across the U.S. over Israel's war in Gaza.

University leaders are bracing for more protests and counter-protests this semester. And on some campuses, new rules have already taken effect. Like at Columbia University, where President Manoush Shafiq resigned earlier this month. A color-coded system is now in place at Columbia to restrict guest access to campus at various times.

At the University of South Florida, all planned activities that involve signs or tense or amplified sound now require prior approval. And at several campuses around the country, encampments have been banned, including across the University of California school system.

The UC system has also banned using a mask to hide your identity or blocking walkways and university buildings. And to some, these new guidelines are a welcome change. I appreciate the clarity provided by the administration and President Drake's regarding how they will support all the students to ensure they can be on campus safely.

and express their whole selves without fear of intimidation and threats, including Jewish students. That's Rabbi Adam Naftalin Kelman, the executive director of Berkley Hillel, a Jewish organization on campus. He spoke with NPR member station KQED earlier this week. Meanwhile, others in the UC system are concerned about how these rules will actually be enforced and whether they will impede free speech.

including Benjamin Lynch, a researcher at UCLA and a pro-Palestinian activist. This is going to be like trying to enforce jaywalking or something. It's only ever going to be used against specific people to politically target, you know, anyone critical of the administration. Consider this. School is back in session. And the line between providing campus security and allowing for free speech is still extremely thin. ♪

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It's Consider This from NPR. University leaders have a lot to juggle this academic year, including how to walk that very fine line between providing security on campus and allowing for free speech. I wanted to better understand how university leaders are thinking through this tension. So I called up Daniel Diermeier. He's the chancellor of Vanderbilt University. And

He took some time away from the first day of classes to talk about the school year ahead and why his university is sticking with the same policies after the events of last semester. Welcome. Thank you very much. Thanks for having me. Well, thank you for being with us. I just want to start with events from last spring on your campus because three students were expelled for their role in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in March.

which was one of the most severe consequences that we saw a university take during those protests. And, you know, I want to ask you because four months later, I'm wondering, do you still stand by that approach that expelling those three students was the right thing to do? Yeah, absolutely. We think that this was the right decision. We have a clear commitment at Vanderbilt for free speech and civil discourse.

And for most of the time during last year, our students did a great job. But we had one incident when our main building was closed. Students forced entrance into the building. They injured one of our security guards. And we told them throughout this process when they were occupying that they would be subject to student discipline.

And as part of this process, the three students were expelled. We then had an appeals process. So I think it's very important that we're always clear about what the values and the rules on campus are, but then we're also willing to enforce them. Did the events of last spring make you think any differently about what the rules around free expression should be? No, just on the contrary. We have a very clear understanding at Vanderbilt what the rules are.

We have a strong commitment to open forums, the commitment to civil discourse, which means that we treat each other with respect. And the third one is for institutional neutrality, which means that the university will not take position on contested political and social issues. On the idea of neutrality, I mean, you just spoke about the importance of neutrality. What is neutrality to you when it comes to an issue like Israel's war in Gaza? Is neutrality silence? So institutional neutrality is

is a restraint exercised by the leadership of the university to refrain from taking positions on controversial political and social issues. It does not restrict in any way, shape, or form the rights of the members of our community, students, or faculty to engage in such debate. As a matter of fact, we believe that by exercising such restraints, we're creating an environment that further encourages discussion and debate so that people are not worried about

about a party line. Another way to say this is the job of a university is to encourage debates, not to settle them. Well, then to students out there, both new students and returning students, what is your message to them who are concerned that Vanderbilt is not a hospitable place for free expression?

One has to really distinguish the environment and the values that support free speech, which we have been very supportive of. Just two days ago when the new first years arrived on campus, we had a long discussion about that. They get it. What we cannot have is lawlessness on campus when students break the rules intentionally.

That's where we have to step in. Our students and our faculty understand that. They may disagree with the specifics of it and whether that should be the consequence or this should be the consequence. But that's why you have a disciplinary process that's applied in a consistent fashion. I am wondering, you know, all this pressure from students, from donors, from what's happening across your state, the country, the world. Do you think it's just harder to be a university president these days?

There's no doubt that this is a particularly challenging environment for university presidents. I started my own tenure July 1, 2020, so we had COVID, and now we have the political tensions on campus. But my sense is that...

This is such a privilege to be able to lead a great university. And in difficult times, the stakes are higher, but that doesn't bother me. I think when you have this opportunity, that is a privilege and one should do it

with pride and one should do it based on the values and purpose of the institution. Is it a job that is easier to do when there is job security? I ask because, as we mentioned, there have been several departures of university presidents at elite universities just over this last year. But I understand that the Vanderbilt Board of Trust just extended your contract through 2035, a decade. What does that job security mean for you as you navigate extremely tense, divisive issues on campus?

How much does that job security factor into the way you respond? So I'm delighted that the board decided to extend my contract. I'm delighted to be at Vanderbilt. I love what we're doing at this great university.

What a longer perspective allows you to do is to engage in strategic initiatives that take a little while to really fully come to fruition. And university presidents tend to have longer tenures. The tenure has shortened, but I'm the ninth chancellor in Germany.

the 151st year history of Vanderbilt. So these chances tend to stick around for a while. So the longer your time horizon, I think the more you are able to plan for a longer time horizon that allows you to engage in initiatives that just can't be completed in one or two years. You say the purpose of college is for people to confront different viewpoints and perspectives, to engage with different ideas and learn from disagreement.

When you imagine what 2035 looks like on Vanderbilt's campus at the end of this tenure that's coming up, what do you hope to see? Well, I hope that we are a thriving university in a thriving community. Nashville and Vanderbilt has been on a tremendously positive trajectory. We are now a magnet for talent there.

There's a great sense of excitement, a great sense of possibility. It's full of creative people. So my goal is to really, when we look back from 2035, to have made a contribution to realize Vanderbilt's full potential as a member of this great community. Daniel Diermeier is the Chancellor of Vanderbilt University. Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us. Thank you very much. My pleasure.

This episode was produced by Catherine Fink with reporting from KQED's Billy Cruz. It was edited by Jeanette Woods. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. And one more thing before we go, you can now enjoy the Consider This newsletter. We still help you break down a major story of the day, but you'll also get to know our producers and hosts and some moments of joy from the All Things Considered team. You can sign up at npr.org slash consider this newsletter. ♪

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