In a time of polarization and political tensions at universities across the country, Duke alumni are joining efforts to promote academic freedom and viewpoint diversity on campus.
Friends for Free Speech and Intellectual Diversity at Duke (FFD) — a group of alumni, students, faculty and staff and a member group of the Duke Alumni Association — hosts panels exploring topics including religion, trust in higher education and institutional neutrality.
“We want to be part of making certain that, moving forward, Duke is … an institution that really promotes a culture of total free expression,” said FFD Board Member Sue Wasiolek, former associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students. “… This is not a place where you are going to be judged because you freely express your opinion to anyone.”
According to FFD Board Member Peter Kahn, Law School ‘76, the idea for FFD was born around 2021 out of a concern that students felt uncomfortable sharing non-majority viewpoints — due to the dubbed “cancel culture” — on campus. The group’s approach was also inspired by an op-ed written by then-Duke professor John Rose, professor of the practice at the School of Civic Life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, on fostering civil discourse in the classroom.
To Wasiolek, a significant reason that students self-censor their views is out of fear of judgement from their classmates.
“Students aren't feeling comfortable disagreeing with each other and expressing their true opinions about a controversial issue, particularly with their peers,” she said.
Abdullah Antepli, professor of the practice in the Sanford School of Public Policy, believes that the national climate is a major factor of this trend, noting that “American society, between ideological and partisan lines, is more divided [and] more polarized … Any conversation — any civil discourse between these partisan, ideological lines — is getting increasingly more difficult.”
He added that the role of a university like Duke is to “take on this challenge” and model what “meaningful, constructive disagreement” on contentious issues could look like.
To Antepli, one obstacle is the time required to invest in scholarly discussions about the goals of free speech and institutional neutrality, adding that “it requires a lot of intellectual labor,” particularly on an “incredibly busy campus” like Duke.
Wasiolek and Antepli shared that FFD often hosts events during University homecomings and reunions to enable alumni — who are not usually available on campus — to participate in the discourse.
“We just want to make sure that [alumni] are at the table,” Wasiolek said.
Previous FFD discussions have included "Is Religion a Force for Good in the Modern World?" and “Higher Education at a Critical Crossroads: Free Speech, DEI, Intellectual Diversity and the Future of the University."
Beyond its programming, FFD advocates that the University takes a set of measures in support of free and open inquiry, including clear statements in support of faculty and students when their “rights to free speech and academic freedom are challenged.”
Another supported measure entails adopting a policy of institutional neutrality and a “Duke-version” of the “Chicago Principles,” which are a set of guidelines on commitment to free speech created by the University of Chicago’s Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression in 2015. Antepli explained that since “every campus is different,” Duke should aspire towards creating its own framework that reflects its distinct “values and virtues.”
In October 2024, over 100 faculty members signed a petition for the University to adopt an official policy of institutional neutrality and implement additional freedom of speech safeguards. The Chronicle’s faculty survey, conducted in April 2024, found that nearly two-thirds of respondents supported institutional neutrality.
Other solutions promoted by FFD include making classes on civil discourse available to all students and encouraging faculty to add statements supportive of free speech and academic freedom to class syllabi.
Khan shared that he believes Duke’s existing emphasis on “open and free expression” and “respect” has prevented “uncomfortable situations” experienced on other college campuses in the past year.
Wasiolek added that FFD is pleased with how the University has prioritized free expression. She shared her hope that Duke’s culture of “free exchange” grows to the heights of the University’s own school spirit.
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Winston Qian is a Pratt sophomore and health/science editor for the news department.