The Illusion of University Neutrality

In the final episode of season four of the SpeechMatters podcast, guest host and former fellow Emerson Sykes of the ACLU sits down with UC Davis law professor and former fellow Brian Soucek to explore the idea of institutional neutrality in higher education and why neutrality may be a myth. Drawing on Soucek’s forthcoming book, “The Opinionated University,” the conversation examines whether universities can, or should remain neutral amid political polarization, how claims of neutrality can undermine academic freedom and what role administrators, faculty and students should play in shaping a university’s mission and values.Episode Resources: The Opinionated University: Academic Freedom, Diversity, and the Myth of Neutrality in American Higher Education, SoucekInstitutional Values, Academic Freedom, and the First Amendment | UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement