A new Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression survey shows faculty around the U.S. are worried and self-censoring on college campuses.
The survey detailed faculty’s fears over free speech, academic freedom and politicalized issues such as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and the war in Gaza. FIRE reported about a third of faculty censored their work to avoid controversy, increasing by more than four times compared to social scientists in the 1950s.
“The McCarthy era is considered a low point in the history of American academic freedom with witch hunts, loyalty tests, and blacklisting in universities across the country,” said Nathan Honeycutt, FIRE manager of polling and analytics. “That today’s scholars feel less free to speak their minds than in the 1950s is a blistering indictment of the current state of academic freedom and discourse.”
About 160 faculty from Indiana University completed the survey. More than half indicated they are liberal.
Read more: IU receives ‘poor’ rating for free speech, report says
They listed the Israel-Palestine conflict as the most difficult issue to talk about on campus.
Seventy-two percent thought the administration was not clearly or not very clearly protecting free speech on campus. The faculty responses were mixed on self-censoring, with 38 percent saying they would not express an opinion because of others’ responses. About half say they never hide their political beliefs.
“Although I am more in the middle of the road and have viewpoints on both sides, I feel like I need to keep my mouth shut or I would be ostracized or fired,” one IU faculty member said.
About one in five said they have been disciplined or threatened with discipline.
Fifty-seven percent said they support IU adopting institutional neutrality.
The faculty were divided on requiring DEI statements in hiring, with 44 percent saying the statements are never or rarely justifiable.
IU did not respond to requests for comment.
Nationally, faculty struggle with free speech
FIRE surveyed 6,269 tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure track faculty from 55 four-year institutions.
One-in-five faculty reported they self-censor in professional work.
Seventy percent of faculty said they have a difficult time openly and honestly discussing the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
The report showed conservative and moderate faculty feel less open about sharing their beliefs than liberal faculty. About half also had difficulties discussing racial equity and transgender rights.
Forty percent worried about damaging their reputation because of a misunderstanding. Conservative and moderate faculty indicated this fear more than liberal faculty. Fifty-five percent of conservative faculty said they occasionally hide their political views to keep their jobs.
Two-in-three faculty said colleges should not take stands on political and social issues. Half of the faculty surveyed say it’s rarely or never justified to require diversity, equity and inclusion pledges for job candidates.
Despite issues with academic freedom and free speech, faculty showed they have more confidence in higher education than the public.
Aubrey is our higher education reporter and a Report For America corps member. Contact her at aubmwrig@iu.edu or follow her on X @aubreymwright.
