The importance of freedom of speech policies at the University of New Haven

Valentina Ortiz Elian

Apr. 25 2024

Freedom of speech has taken center stage on many college campuses, including the University of New Haven. The university has faced the challenge of balancing the preservation of free expression with the maintenance of campus order and safety. Issues from facilities and Sodexo workers demanding union benefits, to political and social conflicts occurring domestically and abroad, have granted young student leaders and community members the opportunity to speak out. 

At the heart of academic discourse in private universities, the principles of academic freedom and freedom of speech support the pursuit of knowledge and societal progress. 

At the university, the classroom is the first location that trains us to yearn for knowledge and gives us a taste for debate about traditional principles and cherished convictions. 

The classroom should not be a place of comfort. Students should regularly engage in critical discourse and dissenting opinions so professors can help prepare students for life outside the confines of this private institution. Central to the university’s need for balance is the recognition that academic freedom also extends beyond the classroom walls.The significance of safeguarding this constitutional right is paramount as the campus community seeks to exercise its voice and advocate for change. 

Mason Smith, a political science student and president of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, (YDSA) and former Sergeant at Arms of the Undergraduate Student Government Association, (USGA)  has participated in campus-wide initiatives to protect the rights of Sodexo and facilities workers, and has drafted letters to United States Congress members and university administrators to advocate for a cease fire resolution in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“If you have an issue that you are really passionate about – just follow that with your entire heart and try to find some people that can get behind you with that,” Smith said. “It can be a little daunting doing things by yourself. So just to know that there will be people in your corner that will be supporting you throughout all of it – is sometimes enough inspiration.”

But navigating the intersection of peaceful protest, academic freedom, and student handbooks require a nuanced approach that prioritizes dialogue, collaboration, and mutual understanding.  This approach can feel out of reach without leadership and coordination. 

“I feel, ironically, that joining the [USGA] e-board has actually stifled my voice,” Smith said. “Granted, I do get to sit in conversations with people in the higher administration more than I normally would, but you still have that avenue if you are a student leader, and you are not on the USGA e-board to begin with.”

His sentiment extends from having to remain a neutral party for the populations of recognized student organizations and undergraduate students. 

“For instance, I tried bringing [a petition] to the USGA e-board when we were writing our mental health petition to get mental health days on campus,” Smith said. "We had written that as a YDSA e-board, and I brought it to them by saying this is a petition that was brought to us. I was told this was inappropriate – that I was the one presenting it because I helped write it. That’s pretty much the attitude of anything that I bring. Like if I have an opinion, it is automatically assumed that it is my YDSA opinion, but at the end of the day, I am a student that also has opinions. And this does not necessarily need to be tied to by YDSA role, it is just Mason Smith – as a student.” 

Campus speech rules exist to make sure all students feel safe.  However, the freedom for students to grow into distinct thinking individuals should be encouraged as well. 

“I also said that we should release a statement about Palestine and staying in solidarity and I was told that we couldn’t do that,” Smith said. “That’s why I decided to go the route of doing it through USGA.” 

When he was not allowed to release a statement, Smith took matters into his own hands. Peacefully opposing the verbal “no” he was given about standing in solidarity with Palestine, Smith,alongside YDSA was able to write and pass a bill through USGA to proclaim a cease-fire resolution to be sent to the campus community.

“We were originally going to do a petition to issue support or solidarity with Palestinians, but then ultimately, I changed it from petition to bill,” he said. “One thing that we can do is write a bill that expresses the feeling of the assembly.”

“So that’s what we did with the Palestinian bill,” Smith said. “We felt that the university isn’t providing enough support to Palestinians or not even acknowledging the conflict whatsoever. This University has a voice. And they pick and choose when they want to raise their voice about certain conflicts or certain humanitarian issues” 

Students play a pivotal role in shaping the discourse on social and political issues. As incubators of critical thinking and societal engagement, this university relies on diverse perspectives to foster intellectual growth. By understanding the parameters in the student handbook policies, students can articulate their viewpoints effectively while maintaining a respectful environment for all community members. 

“Everyone on the [YDSA] e-board but me wrote the bill,” Smith said. “Everything that you see in the bill was written by either a YDSA e-board member or a general member. We’ve also been talking with MSA [Muslim Student Association] a lot, because realistically their members are the members most impacted by this crisis in Gaza. So, we’ve been making sure that they are completely involved and making sure that we are taking steps to include them in all of this.” 

Students can leverage existing platforms and channels of expression and utilize student organizations, campus forums, and peaceful demonstrations to voice their opinions constructively. Engaging in open dialogue with faculty, administrators and peers can facilitate discussions on policy changes that promote inclusivity and free expression. 

“This university has a lot of red tape when it comes to doing things on campus specifically for demonstrations; you need to make sure that you are not disrupting class flow, them conducting business or a class trying to teach,” Smith said. “Which I understand but if you can do a protest usually for just an hour max on just one weekday – I feel like that in the grand scheme of things – is not enough evidence to shut down entirely.”

The commitment to freedom of speech in private universities reaffirms the understanding of academic freedom and freedom of expression that equips college students with the tools necessary to navigate complex societal issues and pushes students to contribute meaningfully to public dialogue. 

Embracing the responsibility that comes with the right to free speech fosters a culture of critical thinking and respectful engagement, essential for addressing the multi-faceted challenges of the modern world.