Conservative students feel silenced at UPitt, report finds
Many students at the University of Pittsburgh feel restricted from freely sharing their views, especially on controversial topics, due to the campus's current political climate.
Conservative students report feeling more inhibited than liberal students, with 83% feeling unable to voice their beliefs openly without fear of backlash.
A recent report by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) recently found that the University of Pittsburgh has failed to protect free speech on its campus, with most students being afraid to speak up in support of their beliefs.
The results, which were published on Oct. 30, were derived from a sample of nearly 500 UPitt students.
ACTA found that 62% of students feel uncomfortable disagreeing with a professor about a controversial topic, and “Nearly half of students feel uncomfortable sharing views on controversial political topics in class discussions.”
In both instances, conservative students are more likely than liberal students to express hesitance to express what they believe.
“Most students believe the political climate prevents them from speaking freely,” the report stated. “Conservative students (83%) are much more likely than liberal students (49%) to believe the political climate prevents them from saying things they believe because others might find them offensive.”
Further, the study found that 70% of students (including 81% of liberal students) believe that professors “should be reported for offensive remarks,” and “[o]nly one-quarter of students believe shouting down speakers is never acceptable.”
The University of Pittsburgh is not the only school to face difficulty protecting free speech on campus.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) also recently released its 2024 “College Free Speech Rankings,” which found that many elite institutions of higher education are failing to uphold First Amendment protections.
“Some of the nation’s most lauded higher ed institutions are failing miserably in upholding First Amendment protections,” FIRE Chief Research Advisor Sean Stevens said about the results of the report. “Often these schools set the tone for the wider higher ed ecosystem, so it is imperative that they address these issues lest this failure drag the rights of a whole new generation of college students down with it.”
Harvard University Law School professor Randall Kennedy recently stated that disinviting speakers can itself be a “form of expression.”
“A disinvitation is, itself, a form of expression. . . . Just suppose the people doing the inviting have operated in a corrupt way, or in a way that you think is appalling,” Kennedy stated.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Pittsburgh for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
