UNC Chapel Hill passes new free speech resolution for faculty
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Faculty Council approved a free speech resolution on Sept. 9.
The resolution reaffirms the university's commitment to free speech.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Faculty Council approved a free speech resolution on Sept. 9.
The resolution, titled “On the Right and Duty of Faculty Members to Speak Freely and the Duty of the University to Protect Faculty Speech,” enforced “principles for the promotion and protection of free speech[.]”
By passing this resolution, the Faculty Council resolved that “[p]ublic expression on matters of local, regional, national, and international importance is a core component of the jobs of many members of the faculty and must not be suppressed.”
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It also resolved that faculty members “should be entitled” to acknowledge their university affiliation in “their research, teaching, and service,” and called on university leaders to “publicly advocate” for faculty free speech rights.
The resolution was submitted by law professor Eric L. Muller.
The updated free speech policy comes on the heels of a Student Government Association (SGA) controversy regarding First Amendment rights.
In August, Campus Reform reported on Student Body President Taliajah Vann’s executive order to withhold funding from pro-life businesses and organizations.
The order would not impact student organizations as the executive office cannot control Senate-directed funding.
Campus Reform reached out to UNC at Chapel Hill, members of its Faculty Council, and Muller for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
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