UC enacts policy to restrict faculty expression on websites

The University of California faculty will encounter new constraints on expressing political opinions through university websites following the approval of a policy by the system’s board of regents. The policy, which received amendments from the regents, is less stringent than its initial versions.

The policy prohibits faculty departments and academic units from displaying opinionated statements on the main pages of department websites. Nevertheless, these statements are allowed elsewhere on the websites as long as they disclaimer that the opinions do not represent the entire campus or UC.

The policy approval came after extensive negotiations with Academic Senate leaders. The revised version now allows statements related to faculty’s “scholarly endeavors,” offering a clarification that reassured Senate leaders. Despite these adjustments, some UC faculty are dissatisfied, claiming the policy infringes on their academic freedom.

Regent Jay Sures, the policy’s advocate, stated, “What we’re protecting is for the public or for the university community to think that statements being made on individual websites are reflective of the University of California when they’re not.”

The policy was approved during a joint meeting of the board’s academic affairs committee and the compliance and audit committee, with votes of 9-1 and 6-1, respectively, along with approval by the full board at 13-1, except for student regent Josiah Beharry.

Former political statements published by faculty departments criticizing Israel’s actions led to the proposal to restrict faculty expressions. The issue was deliberated in several regents’ meetings before the vote on the policy.

Some faculty criticized the regents’ involvement, questioning the policy’s legitimacy and its impact on academic freedom. However, revisions were made in collaboration with Academic Senate leaders, earning their acknowledgment of the policy’s improvements.

The policy ensures that statements related to scholarly endeavors can still appear on department homepages, and links to political statements are allowed, not the statements themselves. Some faculty remain concerned about the policy’s effects on free speech, especially regarding Palestinian studies.

The policy will be enforced at individual campuses with chancellors overseeing the implementation, requiring each academic department to outline compliance procedures. UC President Michael Drake commended the collaborative efforts in refining the policy and expects positive outcomes in communication within the units.