FIRE's video: Report: 88 of universities restrict expression

Look up your school in FIRE's Spotlight Database: https://thefire.org/spotlight Read the full report: https://www.thefire.org/report-88-of-universities-restrict-expression-and-online-classes-are-especially-dangerous-for-student-speech/ Like FIRE on Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheFIREorg Follow FIRE on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheFIREorg Subscribe for email updates: https://www.thefire.org/news-and-media/subscribe-to-fires-updates/ Spotlight on Speech Codes 2021: The State of Free Speech on Our Nation’s Campuses This year has obviously been different in many ways, but one thing hasn’t changed — FIRE’s policy reform team has continued to combat restrictive speech codes on campus. This week, FIRE released our annual Spotlight on Speech Codes report, which reviews the ratings for policies that regulate expression at over 475 schools across the country. These can include everything from protest policies to bias reporting policies, and they get rated on a traffic light scale, from green to red. The good news is that the percentage of schools maintaining our worst, “red light” rating has continued to go down, now to about 21% of schools. Looking at just public schools, there are now about the same number of public schools earning our highest, green light rating as there are earning a red light rating, a significant turning point. Flagship institutions joining the green list this year include Florida State University and the University of Colorado Boulder. In total, 56 schools now earn an overall green light rating. In other good news, there are now over 75 schools that have adopted a version of the free speech policy statement known as the “Chicago Statement,” which affirms a college’s commitment to upholding freedom of expression on campus. All that being said, “yellow light” policies, or those that are more vague restrictions on expression, continue to increase. Though less clearly restrictive on their face than red light policies, yellow light policies invite administrative abuse, and are impermissible at public universities, as well as private ones that promise their students free speech rights. FIRE will continue to work to improve speech codes so that all students may one day attend a green light institution. Take a look on thefire.org/reports to see how a school you care about stacks up!