Student Senate divided over new free speech policy

Lehigh’s Student Senate met on Sept. 16 to discuss Lehigh’s proposed ratification of the Chicago Principles, a free speech policy created by the University of Chicago as a commitment to “free and open discourse.” The proposal left the Student Senate divided on whether or not to endorse the policy.

Since adopted originally, the principles have been ratified by 113 universities to affirm free-speech rights of academic communities. 

At the meeting, senators heard from Brett Ludwig, the vice president of communications and public affairs, and Matt Lahey, the vice president and university general counsel. As a part of their presentation, Ludwig and Lahey displayed a draft of a preamble that would accompany the Chicago Principles to tailor the policy to Lehigh when it is ratified. 

Ludwig said he plans to show the draft of the preamble to the Graduate Student Senate and the Faculty Senate. After those meetings, he said the Preamble Working Group would consider bringing the draft to the Board of Trustees in early October. 

“By us drafting this preamble, we are saying that we are in fact adopting those principles here on our campus,” Ludwig said. “Putting freedom of expression into its proper place is a critically and vitally important part of who we are in our mission here as a research and educational institution. And also putting some guardrails, because freedom of expression must have some limits.” 

Ludwig said the principles will not change the way the university approaches hate or free speech violations, which is stipulated in existing policies and procedures like the Student Code of Conduct.

Following the presentation, the Student Senate held an open discussion where members voiced their concerns and debated the implications of the Chicago Principles. 

Some members praised the document for its ability to encourage diverse viewpoints through its influence as a moral guideline for the university, while others commented that it might provoke hateful speech on campus. Those who voiced their concerns were not convinced the Chicago Principles would have an impact at all. 

Drew Smith, ‘27, the senate’s vice president of internal affairs, said he believes the Chicago Principles will accomplish what Ludwig hopes — that Lehigh’s decision to take a stance on the importance of free speech will empower the community to exercise its rights and hold each other accountable. 

Ludwig said he believes the Chicago Principles could be a “true north” as a moral guideline for the Lehigh community.

“The knowledge that it is there, as what was referred to as a ‘north’ star, could be potentially reassuring to some students in their actions, and I would hope it would prompt further research into the university’s official guidelines and policies,” Smith said. 

Ryan Hatfield, ‘26, the senate’s vice president of engagement, said he believes there is value in students knowing the university supports the right to free speech ahead of practicing activism. 

“I think that at the very least it will be a net positive,” Hatfield said. “How positive is yet to be seen, but I am excited to find out. There is (a) lot of good that can come from taking a stand.” 

Senator Mariana Roldan, ‘28, said there was a lack of distinction between freedom of expression and hateful speech in the document. She asked how the university would plan to draw the line between free speech and hate speech. 

Ludwig said the Chicago Principles will be used as a guidepost, but the Student Code of Conduct will be the most direct policy to address the limits of free speech. 

He also said the Chicago Principles will build on the ideas of Lehigh’s Principles of our Equitable Community, another document that details Lehigh’s dedication to inclusivity, civility and respect. 

Throughout the meeting, some senators questioned whether codifying the Chicago Principles would have a tangible impact on campus. 

Grace Williams, ‘27, the chair of the sustainable development goals committee, said she thought ratifying the Chicago Principles would create publicity for the university rather than make a noticeable difference on campus.

Smith said he disagreed, and he gave Lehigh credit for providing students with more guidelines on free speech. 

“I do not believe that the university would take this initiative purely for marketing purposes,” Smith said. “I think that the intentions were made clear to me, which is using this as a guideline for more specific policies. That’s all that it is. That’s all that it claims to be.” 

Smith also said the Student Senate will continue to research the Chicago Principles before discussing them at their next meeting by looking thoroughly at the preamble and Lehigh’s Code of Conduct. 

The Student Senate will continue to have discussions about the principles at their weekly meetings before it votes on whether or not to endorse the document.