Institutional Neutrality

By adopting institutional neutrality, universities signal their dedication to debate, viewpoint diversity, and the pursuit of knowledge rather than undermining academic dialogue with political statements.

Download the HxA Model of Statement Neutrality

NEW REPORT: The Rising Tide of Statement Neutrality

In 2024, North American universities and colleges dramatically shifted their approach to controversial social and political issues. By the end of 2024, at least 148 institutions had adopted a policy of institutional statement neutrality. This first-of-its-kind report analyzes the catalysts for adoption, traces what kinds of institutions adopted such policies, reveals how statement neutrality became a policy at these institutions, and examines variations on the content of the policies.

Read the report

The Need for Institutional Neutrality

In recent years, when a controversy over a hot-button social or political issue arises, many college and university leaders have made statements of support, opposition, solidarity, or concern. But such statements may actually prevent a college or university from fulfilling its special purpose: as a place where individuals can argue for or against a wide range of views, and where just one voice of unpopular dissent can make everyone smarter and wiser.

When an institution of higher education takes a stand on a social controversy, undesirable and unintended consequences can follow:

Chilling or punishing students and professors who disagree with the “official position” of the institution;
Discouraging curiosity and open-minded exploration of this topic, because there’s already a “right answer”;
Wasting time, money, and attention to produce statements that are unrelated to the institution’s main mission; and
Undermining prestige and public trust, as the college or university becomes perceived as a political actor rather than a shared resource for pluralistic democracy.

As the University of Chicago’s Kalven Report advised, “The instrument of dissent and criticism is the individual faculty member or the individual student. The university is the home and sponsor of critics; it is not itself the critic.” When higher education institutions are neutral on social and political issues, their scholars and students can be anything but.

Today, the idea of institutional neutrality is experiencing a revival.

When a social or political controversy captures public attention, a college or university has a unique opportunity to elevate and improve public debate. Its scholars can articulate and defend their expert opinions. Its campus can host thoughtful discussions. Its students, faculty, and staff can freely formulate and express novel views that enrich the range of possibilities to be considered.

The HxA Model of Statement Neutrality

This resource is prepared by Heterodox Academy (HxA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement in higher education. Not every HxA member endorses neutrality in college or university statements, and some may prefer different formulations than the one presented here. Still, we hope this resource proves useful to institutions considering adopting a policy of statement neutrality.

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Fight for Institutional Neutrality

Open letters

Heterodox Academy has joined with the Academic Freedom Alliance and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression to issue open letters in February 2024 and July 2024 urging universities to adopt institutional neutrality policies on political and social issues that do not concern core academic matters or institutional operations.

Some universities, no doubt chastened by experience, have done what we urged them to do and adopted the principle of institutional neutrality on disputed political issues. These include prestigious universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Syracuse, Purdue, and more.

By committing to the principles of institutional neutrality, these universities signal their dedication to debate, diversity of opinion, and the pursuit of knowledge. They also protect themselves from accusations of political bias and disincentivize outside forces from pressuring them to take sides on complex political problems on behalf of the entire campus community. These schools are choosing, as the University of Chicago’s 1967 “Kalven Report” states, to act as the “home and sponsor of critics” rather than the critic itself and building an arena for students and faculty to debate the issues of the day.

We stand ready to support universities in their pursuit of institutional neutrality and assist those that have pledged to stay true to their principles. Join the fight for institutional neutrality and urge institutional leaders to adopt neutrality today.

Adoptions of Institutional Neutrality

We joined with AFA and FIRE urging universities to adopt institutional neutrality in February 2024. Since then more than 120 universities have adopted policies of statement neutrality or institutional restraint, bringing the total to over 150 institutions. Below is a list institutions with known policies.

University of Chicago 11/1/1967
Carnegie Mellon University 10/1/1970
Reed College 4/19/1971
California Institute of Technology9/1/2014
Colby College 2/1/2020
Brown University5/13/2022
Claremont McKenna College 2/5/2023
Vanderbilt University3/1/2023
Williams College 10/12/2023
University of Denver 10/17/2023
Mount Holyoke College 10/24/2023
Southern Utah University 12/1/2023
University of Utah 12/1/2023
Utah State University 12/1/2023
Utah Tech University 12/1/2023
Utah Valley University 12/1/2023
Weber State University 12/1/2023
University of Wyoming 12/13/2023
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 1/17/2024
University of Tennessee at Martin 1/17/2024
University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center 1/17/2024
University of Tennessee Knoxville 1/17/2024
University of Tennessee Southern 1/17/2024
College of the Holy Cross 1/20/2024
Columbia University 2/20/2024
Princeton University 2/29/2024
Western Kentucky University 3/25/2024
University of Toronto 4/26/2024
Syracuse University 5/7/2024
University of Oregon 5/10/2024
Harvard University 5/28/2024
Stanford University 5/30/2024
University of California, Davis 6/5/2024
Purdue University 6/10/2024
Purdue University Fort Wayne 6/10/2024
Purdue University Northwest 6/10/2024
Appalachian State University 6/28/2024
East Carolina University 6/28/2024
Elizabeth City State University 6/28/2024
Fayetteville State University 6/28/2024
North Carolina A&T State University 6/28/2024
North Carolina Central University 6/28/2024
North Carolina State University 6/28/2024
University of North Carolina, Asheville 6/28/2024
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 6/28/2024
University of North Carolina, Charlotte 6/28/2024
University of North Carolina, Greensboro 6/28/2024
University of North Carolina, Pembroke 6/28/2024
University of North Carolina, Wilmington 6/28/2024
Western Carolina University 6/28/2024
Winston-Salem State University 6/28/2024
McGill University 8/8/2024
University of Virginia 8/13/2024
Johns Hopkins University 8/15/2024
Ohio State University 8/17/2024
University of Southern California 8/20/2024
University of Kentucky 8/20/2024
Emerson College 8/20/2024
Tulane University 8/23/2024
Stephen F. Austin State University 8/23/2024
University of Texas at Arlington 8/23/2024
University of Texas at Dallas 8/23/2024
University of Texas at El Paso 8/23/2024
University of Texas at Permian Basin 8/23/2024
University of Texas at San Antonio 8/23/2024
University of Texas at Tyler 8/23/2024
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston 8/23/2024
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 8/23/2024
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 8/23/2024
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston 8/23/2024
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 8/23/2024
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center 8/23/2024
University of Texas, Austin 8/23/2024
Cornell University 8/26/2024
University of Colorado, Boulder 8/28/2024
Haverford College 8/28/2024
Amherst College 9/4/2024
University of Alabama 9/5/2024
University of Alabama Birmingham 9/5/2024
University of Alabama, Huntsville 9/5/2024
Simon Fraser University 9/9/2024
University of Pennsylvania 9/10/2024
Barnard College 9/11/2024
University of California, Los Angeles 9/12/2024
University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire 9/12/2024
University of Wisconsin, Green Bay 9/12/2024
University of Wisconsin, La Crosse 9/12/2024
University of Wisconsin, Madison 9/12/2024
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 9/12/2024
University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh 9/12/2024
University of Wisconsin, Parkside 9/12/2024
University of Wisconsin, Platteville 9/12/2024
University of Wisconsin, River Falls 9/12/2024
University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point 9/12/2024
University of Wisconsin, Stout 9/12/2024
University of Wisconsin, Whitewater 9/12/2024
Indiana University Bloomington 9/13/2024
Indiana University Columbus 9/13/2024
Indiana University East 9/13/2024
Indiana University Fort Wayne 9/13/2024
Indiana University Kokomo 9/13/2024
Indiana University Northwest 9/13/2024
Indiana University South Bend 9/13/2024
Indiana University Southeast 9/13/2024
Indiana University, Indianapolis 9/13/2024
Washington State University 9/13/2024
Queen's University 9/19/2024
Texas A&M University 9/23/2024
Texas Woman's University 9/23/2024
Drexel University 9/24/2024
Franklin & Marshall College 9/26/2024
Northwestern University 9/27/2024
Louisiana State University 10/10/2024
University of Michigan 10/17/2024
Clark University 10/20/2024
University of Iowa 10/28/2024
University of Massachusetts Amherst 10/28/2024
Yale University 10/31/2024
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College 11/12/2024
Albany State University 11/12/2024
Atlanta Metropolitan State College 11/12/2024
Augusta University 11/12/2024
Clayton State University 11/12/2024
College of Coastal Georgia 11/12/2024
Columbus State University 11/12/2024
Dalton State College 11/12/2024
East Georgia State College 11/12/2024
Fort Valley State University 11/12/2024
Georgia College and State University 11/12/2024
Georgia Gwinnett College 11/12/2024
Georgia Highlands College 11/12/2024
Georgia Institute of Technology 11/12/2024
Georgia Southern University 11/12/2024
Georgia Southwestern State University 11/12/2024
Georgia State University 11/12/2024
Gordon State College 11/12/2024
Kennesaw State University 11/12/2024
Middle Georgia State University 11/12/2024
Savannah State University 11/12/2024
South Georgia State College 11/12/2024
University of Georgia 11/12/2024
University of North Georgia 11/12/2024
University of West Georgia 11/12/2024
Valdosta State University 11/12/2024
Michigan State University 12/4/2024
George Mason University 12/5/2024
Dartmouth College 12/10/2024
Colgate University 12/10/2024
Rutgers University, New Brunswick 12/13/2024
Western Michigan University 2/6/2025
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities 2/17/2025
Washington University in St. Louis 2/18/2025
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities 3/14/25
University of Minnesota, Duluth 3/14/25
University of Minnesota, Morris 3/14/25
University of Minnesota, Crookston 3/14/25
University of Minnesota, Rochester 3/14/25

John Tomasi speaks with Jaimie Kalven on Institutional Neutrality

They delve into the Kalven Report of 1967 from the University of Chicago. This landmark report sought to balance the preservation of academic freedom with the responsibility to uphold the university's mission and values. The report's nuanced approach is examined in the context of Harry Kalven’s legacy, a key figure in First Amendment jurisprudence. They also analyze the report's implications for addressing contentious political issues within academia.

John Tomasi speaks with Nadine Stossen & Keith Whittington

The 2023-24 academic year began with political statements. At Harvard and Cornell, these were followed by clarifying statements, and at Stanford there was a new interest in not making statements at all. In this webinar, Tomasi, Stossen, and Whittington discuss the costs to university cultures of inquiry when leaders weigh in on political controversies, and how institutional neutrality as advocated in the Kalven Report and the Princeton Principles can offer a better path forward.