Universities of Wisconsin leaders must remain neutral in public statements on political and social issues, and they should only make public statements on matters affecting school operations, under a new policy the university system released Friday.
Under the new policy, university leaders’ public statements must be limited to matters that directly affect university operations and the university’s mission, and they must maintain viewpoint neutrality when referencing any political or social controversy.
The purpose of the policy is “to uphold and protect academic freedom, freedom of expression, and an environment in which competing ideas can be freely discussed and debated by all members of the university community,” the policy states.
The policy applies to the system president and vice presidents, the university chancellors, provosts, vice chancellors, deans, directors, department chairs and anyone else who may be perceived as speaking on behalf of a system institution.