UT bars institutional statements ‘based on political or social passions’

AUSTIN – The Austini American-Statesman reports that the UT System Board of Regents approved a new measure in its free speech policy Thursday barring the system and its institutions, including the University of Texas, from taking political stances or making statements on matters not immediately pertinent to their campuses or operations. It is not “the role of the UT System or UT institutions to adopt positions based on political or social passions or pressures,” the new rule states. “Institutions should not, in their official capacity, issue or express positions on issues of the day, however appealing they may be to some members of the university community,” the guideline continues. Though the regents’ new order does not affect individuals at the institutions, it applies to official system and university functions, ceremonies, publications and statements.

UT System spokesperson Paul Corliss said the change was inspired by the University of Chicago’s 1967 Kalven report that insists on the importance of institutional neutrality except for instances that directly threaten the university. The spokesperson said the change is intended to foster a climate in which students, faculty and staff members are freer to express their positions and beliefs. “The University of Texas System’s commitment to free speech and open inquiry is unequivocal and demonstrated by its earlier adoption of the principles set forth in the Chicago Statement on Free Speech,” Corliss’ statement said. “Similarly, today the Board of Regents endorsed an addition to UT System policy that further ensures that all members of its university communities are free to express their views. “Rooted in the Kalven Report from the University of Chicago, the policy reflects the principle that the institution’s role is not to take positions on political, social, or other matters unrelated to its operation but to uphold a community where students, faculty, and staff have the freedom to do so.”