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(The Center Square)—New York University, Columbia, Harvard and several other elite Northeast colleges are among those with poor rankings for free speech, according to a new report.
All three universities, located in New York and Massachusetts respectively, received “abysmal” rankings for their free speech climates in the annual report, released on Thursday by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Harvard University retained its position as the lowest-ranked institution for free speech for the second consecutive year, the report noted.
“Some of the nation’s most lauded higher ed institutions are failing miserably in upholding First Amendment protections,” Sean Stevens, FIRE’s chief researcher, said in a statement. “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.”
The report ranked the free speech climates of more than 250 American colleges and universities based on a survey of over 58,000 students nationwide. Most of the colleges and universities were ranked “average,” while only three received a “good” grade. The University of Virginia, Michigan Technological University and Florida State University had the healthiest speech climates in 2024, according to the report.
At least six colleges, including Liberty University in Virginia and Baylor University in Texas, were listed as “warning” schools with “policies that clearly and consistently state that it prioritizes other values over a commitment to freedom of speech.”
Other regional universities included in the FIRE report were Dartmouth College in New Hampshire — which ranked 224th and earned a “below average” grade — and the University of Vermont, which placed 233rd and received a “below average” rating. Rutgers University, New Jersey’s elite public school, also received a “below average” ranking, placing 198th in the list.
The report also delved into whether students felt they needed to self-censor themselves in response to the political climate on campuses. Students who self-described as “very conservative” reported self-censoring most often, with 34% saying they do so “very” or “fairly” often, according to the report. In contrast, only 15% of “very liberal” students reported self-censoring “very” or “fairly” often, according to FIRE’s pollsters.
FIRE also surveyed students’ views on the Israel-Hamas War, which has been the source of often violent demonstrations and occupations on many elite college campuses over the past year.
The foundation surveyed about 3,000 students for their views on encampments and protests on their campuses over the past year. Nearly three-quarters of students said it is “rarely acceptable,” while about 60% said it was “rarely acceptable” to occupy university buildings as part of demonstrations.
More than a quarter of Jewish students surveyed by the group said they feel “very” or “somewhat unsafe” on their college campuses, while nearly half of Muslim students said police responses to encampments made them feel unsafe.
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“The Middle East crisis plunged campuses into absolute chaos last academic year and administrators largely failed in their response, clamping down on free speech protections instead of fostering spaces for open dialogue,” Lukianoff said. “The nightmare scenarios of last spring cannot be repeated this fall. Colleges need to reassert their mantle of being marketplaces of ideas, not bubbles of groupthink and censorship.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz: There Are Five Known Trump Assassination Teams in America
by The Gateway Pundit
President Trump’s life may be in greater danger than anyone, including himself, realizes according to a Florida congressman. As The Gateway Pundit reported, a second attempt was made on Trump’s life on Sunday, just two months after he came within a centimeter of being killed in Butler, Pennsylvania by a…
Is There a Mole Within the Secret Service?
by Townhall
There have been two attempted assassinations of former President Donald Trump, and both times, the suspects have known information only insiders would know about security. How could that be? Since Sunday’s attempted assassination of Trump, making it the second one in two months, several questions have still gone unanswered, such…
Diddy Reportedly Paid Off Home Mortgage Before Being Arrested
by The Dupree Report
New revelations emerged regarding Sean “Diddy” Combs’ opulent Miami estate during his recent bond hearing. In a dramatic turn of events in March, federal agents descended on the hip-hop titan’s luxurious abode on Star Island, uncovering what they allege were preparations for illicit gatherings known as “Freak Offs.” These events…
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Mike DeWine’s History Raises Concerns About Potential Conflict of Interest With Haitian Migrants
by Daily Caller
Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has faced a series of conflicts of interests on key issues in his state, including with the ongoing Haitian migrant crisis affecting Springfield. DeWine recently pledged support to Springfield to assist with the influx in Haitian migrants, according to Spectrum News. Over a period of…
The Coincidences Continue: New Details About Would-be Assassin Ryan Routh’s Wife
by American Greatness
As details continue to emerge about the man accused of attempting to shoot former president Donald Trump, one of the more curious developments involves Ryan Routh’s wife Kathleen Shaffer and her work. During questioning yesterday by Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Homeland Security Investigations Executive Associate Director Chief Katrina W. Berger…
We Can Stop the Democrats From Rigging & Stealing This Election. Now. Today. Here’s How.
by Wayne Allyn Root
I have the solution to what’s coming on November 5th. But President Trump needs to act fast. He must make this high-profile, controversial, headline-grabbing, announcement TODAY! Trump is winning an electoral landslide. We all know that. In every credible and historically accurate poll, Trump is leading in the popular vote…
Congressional Probe Into Democrat Fundraising Platform, ActBlue, Finds Potential “Criminal Activity”
by Darlene McCormick Sanchez, The Epoch Times
(The Epoch Times)—A congressional investigation analyzing more than 200 million political contributions found potential “criminal activity” and referred the information to five state attorneys general for further review. The review involved donation reports from ActBlue, an online Democratic fundraising platform, to the Federal Election Commission, according to Rep. Bryan Steil…
Man Screaming ‘Allahu Akbar’ Stabs One to Death, Gravely Injures Another in the Netherlands
by Human Events
Witnesses said that the suspect began attacking people at random while shouting the Arab phrase meaning “God is great,” commonly used by Muslims. One person is dead and another is gravely wounded after a man screaming ‘Allahu Akbar’ and carrying two knives went on a stabbing spree late Thursday in…
Jeremiah 18:8, “If that Nation Against Which I Have Spoken Turns from Its Evil, I will Relent of the Disaster that I Planned to Bring on It”
by The Gateway Pundit
As the US Congress is debating the Continuing Resolution (CR) that authorizes the national budget, most are concerned about the government shut-down that will occur if the CR is not passed. “Woe!” is being sounded by various Congressional members announcing the calamitous ruin that will fall upon our nation if…
One GOP Lawmaker Says It Doesn’t Feel ‘Safe’ to Work in Politics
by Townhall
Republican Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said in an interview this week that it does not feel safe to work in politics and that she’s been the target of threats. Luna made the remarks in an interview with Chris Cuomo on NewsNation. “The rhetoric that continues to be pushed…when you…
Bill Gates Launches New Netflix Series That Lays Out Mass Suicide Plan for Global Human Depopulation
by Ethan Huff, Natural News
(Natural News)—Scheduled for a Netflix launch on September 18 is a new docu-series from billionaire eugenicist Bill Gates that pushes the notion that “we have to give up hydrocarbons almost entirely,” among other anti-human ideas. Because the climate is currently not to the liking of Gates and his acolytes, major changes…