What’s really happening with free speech at universities?

In recent years, there’s been greater scrutiny of the higher education sector’s role in upholding free speech and academic freedom. We’ve tackled some of the misperceptions about free speech and academic freedom at universities. 

Each year, universities host thousands of events on different topics and featuring a diverse range of speakers.

OfS data shows:

• From 2018 to 2021, over 120,000 events took place at universities and colleges in England.  
• Only 0.9% of speaking events planned by OfS-registered higher education providers did not go ahead in 2020–21.
• Out of 19,407 total events in 2020–21, only 193 speakers were rejected. The vast majority were rejected for 'procedural' or 'health and safety' grounds.

The OfS did not ask universities and colleges whether the event took place at a later date, so these figures may include events that were rescheduled rather than cancelled.  

A study by King’s College London found:

• 80% of students feel that they are free to express their views at university, compared to 70% of the wider public.
• The overwhelming majority of students (70%) agree that academics are free to express their views at their university.
• Students are more likely to think free speech is under threat in UK society as a whole (53%) than it is at their university (34%). 

While there is some evidence of students and staff self-censoring, this does not appear to be widespread, and reflects similar views amongst the wider public. This suggests there is limited evidence of any specific ‘chilling effect’ within the higher education sector.

Universities work hard to create a culture of intellectual enquiry. It’s crucial that a broad range of voices are heard, challenged, and debated, and that people have the right to peaceful protest.

The higher education sector’s recent statement on promoting academic freedom and free speech sets out universities’ commitment to this. 

There are legal obligations on universities to protect free speech and academic freedom in the Education Act 1986 and Higher Education and Research Act 2017. These duties are due to be strengthened by the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill.  

Universities also recognise the importance of free speech and academic freedom in their partnerships with overseas countries and institutions. Our guidance on managing risks in internationalisation sets out the importance of promoting the values of UK higher education. This includes protecting academic freedom, freedom of speech and institutional autonomy.   

Universities recruit students from around the world, reflecting the strength and reputation of the UK higher education sector. The OfS has been directed by the government to monitor over-reliance on single sources of funding to ensure that universities are fulfilling their obligations to protect freedom of speech and academic freedom.

Universities drive forward research and provide opportunities for students, staff, and visiting speakers to engage with different perspectives on key issues. This is protected by the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 and enables universities to contribute to national debates.  

Work to ‘decolonise’ university curricula isn’t about rewriting or airbrushing British history, but about incorporating a wider range of viewpoints into university learning and teaching material. In effect, it’s about encouraging more freedom of expression by encouraging a wider range of voices to be discussed – and debated – on campus. 

Reading lists, module options, and other elements of university teaching have always been continuously updated to ensure they are providing the best possible education for students. In practice, ‘decolonising’ curricula often means providing alternative options for students interested in this area.  

Decolonisation of curricula is designed to expand knowledge, not to limit it, and asks staff and students to consider the viewpoints represented in the curriculum and those which are excluded. 

For example, some universities review their curricula as part of activities to tackle the ethnicity degree awarding gap.

Given the importance which universities place on free speech and academic freedom, students and staff will sometimes be exposed to views they find disagreeable, or even offensive. This is an important part of a university education, and universities do not ‘ban’ books.  

Trigger or content warnings therefore exist to provide advance warning about any texts or information which could be distressing, particularly for vulnerable students or those who may have lived experience of a traumatic episode. They do not alter or impact the text in any way, and do not remove the work from teaching. 

A Times investigation found:

• Across all 140 universities in the UK, only 1,081 trigger warnings had been placed across all undergraduate reading lists combined.
• Only two universities had removed books from reading lists, with the texts still available in the university library. 

Excessive focus on specific areas of the freedom of speech debate, such as trigger warnings, distracts from universities’ work to ensure academic freedom and inclusion work thrive on our campuses. 

It's easy to talk about the need to promote free speech and academic freedom. But how do universities actually protect free speech day-to-day? 

In episode 4 of The future of higher education today, free speech policy expert Harry Anderson asks how can we protect free speech while making sure university communities feel safe.