Students, academics and external speakers at universities in England will have their freedom of speech protected by robust new laws coming into force.
Under the strengthened rules introduced by this government, universities must actively promote academic freedom, ensuring campuses are places where robust discussion can take place without fear of censorship of students, staff or external speakers expressing lawful opinions, News Cover reports, citing UK government.
Universities will also be banned from using non-disclosure agreements to silence victims of campus misconduct, protecting vulnerable individuals who may have faced harassment, abuse or sexual assault.
If lawful free speech is silenced the Office for Students (OfS) can investigate, and can take action if universities are found to have failed to protect free speech rights.
The OfS’ director for free speech and academic freedom has warned institutions that flout the new rules could face record penalties, after the University of Sussex was given a landmark £585,000 fine for its failure to uphold free speech in March. Arif Ahmed said future fines could be higher.
These robust protections deliver on the government’s Plan for Change by restoring the integrity of our universities as rigorous centres of intellectual debate, recognising them as a key driver for delivering growth and opportunity across the country.
