Students at Hillsdale College are more comfortable disagreeing with their professors than the students at any other college or university, according to the 2021 College Free Speech Rankings from RealClearEducation.
In the survey, 73% of Hillsdale students said they are comfortable publicly disagreeing with their professors. This is the highest ranking of all 159 colleges and universities surveyed by RealClearEducation, which included the University of Michigan, the University of Notre Dame, and Harvard University.
“The classroom is where we cultivate the habits of responsible citizenship,” said Associate Professor of Politics Khalil Habib.
In the list of colleges most friendly to free speech, RealClearEducation placed Hillsdale third, with a score of 67.91 out of 100.
Out of Hillsdale students surveyed, 93% felt comfortable expressing their views on a controversial subject in a common campus space, and 84% said the administration protects free speech, according to RealClearEducation.
“I think conversation in general is encouraged on campus,” sophomore Elizabeth Sible said. “People are huge fans of being devils’ advocates, and that results in a lot of controversial-yet-brave comments.”
Hillsdale ranked closely below the school second most open to free speech, the University of Chicago, which scored 70.43 out of 100.
At the University of Chicago, 87% of students said they feel that the administration would defend the speaker’s right to advance their opinion should a speech-related controversy emerge on campus. Should such a controversy arise at Hillsdale, 98% of students agreed that the school would defend the speaker’s right to advance his or her point of view, according to the rankings.
“The campus culture is supportive of free speech because we recognize its importance to liberal education and a free society,” Habib said.
Hillsdale was not given the official title of “third,” however, due to a “warning” label placed on the school by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. According to RealClearEducation, FIRE helped determine the free speech rankings.
“A warning label is assigned by FIRE to a private college or university when its policies clearly and consistently state that it prioritizes other values over a commitment to freedom of speech,” according to the RealClearEducation website.
FIRE Director Robert Shibley said the group labeled Hillsdale as a “warning” school because they couldn’t find enforceable commitments to freedom of speech at the college.
“While students in the aggregate provide very positive answers in the survey about the environment for free speech at Hillsdale, there are no guarantees that college will protect their rights should a controversy arise,” he said.
Shibley said the college lacks policies that students can use to defend themselves, should they face discipline for “unpopular or dissenting speech.”
“If a Hillsdale student were to say something ‘disparaging’ about a political figure on social media– which is forbidden in Hillsdale’s rules – and be targeted for ‘cancellation,’ the college is free to take disciplinary action and even expel the student for the sake of public relations,” Shibley said.
Unless policies change, according to Shibley, Hillsdale will continue to be labeled as a “warning” school for free speech.
“I have never experienced any restrictions on free speech on our campus,” Habib said. “Free speech is a natural right and is essential to free inquiry and liberal education.”
Provost Christopher VanOrman said Hillsdale welcomes free speech, within a civil context.
“A place of liberal learning, Hillsdale College welcomes the free expression of ideas, thoughtful inquiry, and civil debate,” VanOrman said. “Since the founding of the college, natural law principles—which support rational inquiry and civil and religious liberty—have been central to the college’s work.”
According to VanOrman, Hillsdale reserves the right to limit student conduct and speech, so far as it allows the school to function properly.
“In maintaining the required atmosphere of civility and preserving the noble pursuit of the college’s goals, Hillsdale College reserves the right to place limits on student conduct and speech to ensure the proper functioning of the college,” VanOrman said.
Civility and friendship are necessary in order to have academic discussions in the context of higher learning, Associate Vice President for Curriculum David Whalen said.
“This friendship is characterized by affection, esteem, goodwill, and profound respect, all of which are embraced willingly by those who choose to take up the purposes of the college,” Whalen said. “Nevertheless, these bonds do not necessitate a uniformity of opinion on all things.”