University of Denver Fall 2023

DU’s stand on freedom of expression ACADEMICS By Janette Ballard

As an institution of higher learning, the University of Denver historically has supported a culture of robust debate and open dialogue. DU’s commitment to free speech came into sharper focus in 2017 when the University prepared a Statement of Policy and Principles on Freedom of Expression. This document was written the same year DU endorsed the Chicago Statement, a model free speech policy statement by the University of Chicago. Rather than replicate the Chicago Statement, DU created a statement of its own—drafted, discussed and debated by the DU community. “The University of Denver remains deeply committed to our freedom of expression policy,” says University of Denver Chancellor Jeremy Haefner. “We do this for our students, who come to this institution to learn, hear new and diverse viewpoints, and share their own perspectives. We do it for our faculty, who must be free to expand knowledge while they also educate—and for democracy, where the freedom of expression is a central promise.” DU Magazine sat down with Darrin Hicks (pictured below), a professor in the Department of Communication Studies and member of the committee that drafted the freedom of expression statement, to discuss the significance of the policy and the importance of free speech on campus. This interview has been edited for brevity.

What was happening on college campuses at that time? Probably the most prevalent was the controversy over invited speakers. It could be a commencement address, or it could be a presidential candidate, and some students would find that speaker to be expressing ideas they’ve vehemently disagreed with. There were some political groups who started seeing a really good opportunity for news coverage by sending very provocative speakers to campuses with the hope of generating a great deal of controversy. That had started to become a prominent political thing that was happening, and it certainly happened to DU.

Why did DU sign on to the Chicago Statement in 2017? I think it was a response to what people had been seeing going on around the country. And though it had not hap pened explicitly at DU—for instance, very controversial invited speakers drawing large protests—[it was clear that universities] are going to have to recommit or clarify their commitments to free expression. It came out as the strongest statement to date on the value of the freedom of expression. Certainly, in response to a lot that had been going on college campuses, especially elite private college campuses.

14 | UNIVERSITY of DENVER MAGAZINE • FALL 2023