Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Colleen Eren, Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at William Paterson University, presenting her latest research on institutional statements and academic freedom.
As universities increasingly issued statements on political and social issues over the past 15 years, debates over these statements, and demands both for institutional neutrality and position-taking have intensified. But do they, as has been argued by Heterodox Academy and other proponents of viewpoint diversity in universities, indeed have a 'chilling effect'? Drawing on survey data from 250 tenure-track faculty at U.S. R1 universities, this presentation examines faculty attitudes toward statements and the perceived effects of these statements on their exercise of academic freedom. Findings suggest that many faculty disagree with institutional statements, with substantial numbers reporting self-censorship and changes to their professional engagement with contentious topics as a result--but for reasons less tied to feelings of economic precarity than of concern with social isolation. The presentation explores what these findings may mean for academic freedom, viewpoint diversity, and the case for institutional neutrality.
Colleen Eren, Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at William Paterson University, presenting her latest research on institutional statements and academic freedom.
As universities increasingly issued statements on political and social issues over the past 15 years, debates over these statements, and demands both for institutional neutrality and position-taking have intensified. But do they, as has been argued by Heterodox Academy and other proponents of viewpoint diversity in universities, indeed have a 'chilling effect'? Drawing on survey data from 250 tenure-track faculty at U.S. R1 universities, this presentation examines faculty attitudes toward statements and the perceived effects of these statements on their exercise of academic freedom. Findings suggest that many faculty disagree with institutional statements, with substantial numbers reporting self-censorship and changes to their professional engagement with contentious topics as a result--but for reasons less tied to feelings of economic precarity than of concern with social isolation. The presentation explores what these findings may mean for academic freedom, viewpoint diversity, and the case for institutional neutrality.
