“This Class May Not Be for You”
Brandon Warmke, incoming Associate Professor of Humanities at the University of Florida’s Hamilton School of Classical and Civic Education, shared how he lays down the law—philosophically and pedagogically—on day one. He reads a statement on academic freedom straight from his syllabus (sometimes twice), establishing the foundation of his classroom: “This institution respects free inquiry and […]
Anti-Fragile Minds: Learning Through Pain
Jonathan Haidt introduces anti-fragility—a concept coined by Nassim Taleb to describe systems that improve through stress. Bones. Immune systems. Markets. Minds. “The immune system has to face challenges in order to learn.” Then psychologist Susan David closes with a beautiful—and brutal—truth: “Life’s beauty is inseparable from its fragility. You are healthy until you are not. […]
The Decline in Academic Standards: One Professor Speaks Out
Associate Professor Kate Epstein of Rutgers–Camden teaches U.S. history, military and diplomatic history, and historical methods. In a recent interview, she gave voice to what many in academia know but few will say publicly: student performance is collapsing, and standards are being quietly lowered across the board. “I noticed a sharp downturn in their ability […]
A Turning Point at UVA
The Alumni Free Speech Alliance (AFSA) commends the Jefferson Council for its years of tireless work exposing and documenting (as seen in the news paper advertisement on the right) the University of Virginia administration’s failures to uphold the principles of free expression, academic freedom, and transparency. President Jim Ryan’s resignation is a clear sign that […]
Dead Poets, Free Thinkers, and the Power of Saying Nothing
The First Amendment Also Protects Your Right to Stay Silent When we think about free speech, we usually think about the right to speak up. But the First Amendment guarantees something just as vital: the right to stay silent. That’s the core message in a powerful video from FIRE (the Foundation for Individual Rights and […]
Debate, Disagreement, Discovery: The Case for Viewpoint Diversity
🎓 “Viewpoint diversity is absolutely vital at the university.” — Prof. Rebecca Tuvel (Rhodes) Alongside Purdue’s Eric Sampson, Tuvel makes the case for why disagreement is essential to learning—not a threat to it. “People with different perspectives… are far better positioned than those who are like-minded to spot the weaknesses in competing views.” Sampson adds: […]
Rabbi David Wolpe Sounds the Alarm on Foreign Influence in U.S. Education
Rabbi David Wolpe, former faculty fellow at Harvard and one of the most respected Jewish thinkers in America, is speaking out—bluntly—about what he sees as a deepening crisis in American education. His target? The entanglement of elite institutions with foreign money and ideology, particularly from Qatar. On Campus Protests: “This Was All Organized” Wolpe doesn’t […]
Not Woke, Just Weak: Illya Shapiro Blasts Spineless Campus Leadership
Illya Shapiro goes in on what’s actually wrong with most college presidents—and it’s not what you think. “They’re not woke radicals… they’re spineless cowards. Just careerists climbing the bureaucratic pole.” He’s making the case that campus leadership doesn’t need a revolution—just guts. Presidents and deans are great at pushing values they care about. Social justice? […]
Plasma, Prayer, and the Pursuit of Truth
MIT Professor Ian Hutchinson will represent the MIT Free Speech Alliance (MFSA) at next week’s Heterodox Academy Conference, where he’ll speak on an MFSA-sponsored panel exploring a timely question: Can STEM help restore academia’s reputation? He’s one of the rare voices in academia who’s equally fluent in high-level science and personal faith. A plasma physicist […]
“The current state of free speech on Princeton’s campus is one of cowardice.”
“The current state of free speech on Princeton’s campus is one of cowardice.” This short video by Princetonians for Free Speech captures Princeton students reflecting on what it’s really like to speak up on campus. Some aren’t sure what the university’s policy even means. Others say ideas are whispered behind masks or backs—never debated openly. […]
