The opinionated university : academic freedom, diversity, and the myth of neutrality in American higher education / Brian Soucek.
| Author/creator | Soucek, Brian author. |
| Format | Book |
| Publication | Chicago, IL ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2026. |
| Copyright Date | ©2026 |
| Description | 202 pages ; 23 cm |
| Subjects |
| Portion of title | Academic freedom, diversity, and the myth of neutrality in American higher education |
| Contents | Introduction: The myth of neutrality -- Diversity statements : a performance evaluation, not a litmus test -- Distraction and hypocrisy : ignoring the real threats to academic freedom -- Institutional speech : silence is not always silent -- Institutional counterspeech : "The remedy for speech that is false is speech that is true" -- Regulating campus speech : when more speech isn't necessarily better -- Coda: Who should decide a university's opinions? |
| Abstract | "Why institutional neutrality is nothing but an illusion. Can a university ever truly be neutral in today's social and political climate? Pushing against the tide of universities increasingly pledging to stay neutral about contentious issues, law professor Brian Soucek argues that their promises are doomed to fail -- universities can't help being opinionated. In The opinionated university, Soucek shows that neutrality is a myth by taking a deep dive into several prominent campus controversies of the day, including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and restrictions on campus speech and protest. Each issue requires universities to choose a side in what they do, if not also in what they say. In everything from curricular and admissions decisions to their response to outside rankings and their evaluation of faculty, universities express the values at the heart of their mission. Soucek argues that those pushing for neutrality are only preventing universities from standing up for their values, whether in today's current moment of crisis or in periods of political calm. Both timely and deeply engaging, The opinionated university calls on universities to dispense with neutrality as a governing principle and focus instead on what their mission should be, and who should determine it"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Issued in other form | Online version: Soucek, Brian. Opinionated university. Chicago ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2026 9780226846149 |
| LCCN | 2025021934 |
| ISBN | 9780226839653 hardcover |
| ISBN | 0226839656 hardcover |
| ISBN | 9780226846156 paperback |
| ISBN | 0226846156 paperback |
| ISBN | electronic book |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyner | General Stacks | LC72.2 .S68 2026 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |