On March 21, 2021, ACTA sent a letter to the Iowa Board of Regents urging it to adopt recommendations put forth by the board’s Free Speech Committee. The committee’s recommendations closely align with tenants of the Chicago Principles on Freedom of Expression, a statement which the board has already adopted. The text of the letter can be found below.
In light of the recommendations made by your board’s Free Speech Committee on February 24, I want to offer my organization as a resource while you consider the proposed policies.
As a nonprofit organization committed to the preservation of academic freedom, academic excellence, and accountability, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) praises your efforts to safeguard intellectual diversity. We share your sentiment that the free exchange of ideas and a diversity of opinions are the lifeblood of both higher education and our democracy.
At last count, 81 colleges and universities—including the Iowa Board of Regents—have adopted the Chicago Principles on Freedom of Expression since their inception in 2015. The policy proposals by your Free Speech Committee align closely with these tenets and we earnestly hope that the board will adopt these recommendations. In doing so, the regents will make Iowa public universities a model for others around the nation , demonstrating how to develop and implement policies that actively promote freedom of expression on campus.
In this spirit, I would like to offer our assistance. I am enclosing several recent ACTA publications. Resisting Cancel Culture: Promoting Dialogue, Debate, and Free Speech in the College Classroom by former ACLU president Nadine Strossen points out the intellectual necessity of free expression and ways to promote free speech on campus. Professor Joyce Lee Malcolm’s Guarding the Freedom to Speak, Freedom to Hear provides best practices for governing boards to secure intellectual freedom. Building a Culture of Free Expression on the American College Campus: Challenges & Solutions gives an in-depth analysis of the history of free expression and proven solutions to the current free speech crisis. I hope these resources are helpful for you and your colleagues as you continue your urgently important work.
If there is anything we can do to aid your efforts to implement the Free Speech Committee’s recommendations, or in any matter in the future, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.
We are immensely grateful for your commitment to American higher education, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Armand Alacbay
Vice President of Trustee & Government Affairs
Launched in 1995, we are the only organization that works with alumni, donors, trustees, and education leaders across the United States to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure that the next generation receives an intellectually rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.
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