Students at George Mason University awoke Monday morning to a three-paragraph message warning them that they will not be coddled on campus.
After a year of flare-ups at universities around the country that featured undergrads demanding cover from opposing or offensive opinions via ‘trigger warnings’ or ‘safe spaces,’ GMU told its students that they are expected to deal with potential discomfort without limiting others’ speech or engaging in violence.
“We are mindful that certain topics elicit stronger emotional responses than others, especially when those participating in the conversations have contrasting opinions or seek to provoke,” read the email, obtained by THE WEEKLY STANDARD. “It is our expectation that members of our community engage respectfully in such dialogue, even when what is heard may seem offensive or distasteful.”
The message, sent by GMU’s Vice President for University Life, encouraged students to respond to “opposing viewpoints,” but not to do so in a way that curtails freedom of expression.
“Although the University supports your right to express discontent in a lawful manner, it is also obligated to uphold the rights of those who visit our campus to engage in constitutionally protected activities,” the email said. “You most certainly can counter speech you are offended by with your own speech. You can counter activities that are disagreeable to you with your own activities. You can choose to engage with those who have opposing viewpoints or you can walk away.”
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a free-speech watchdog, praised the message and grouped it among their favorite administration-led, pro-speech statements.
“FIRE is pleased that George Mason University is encouraging students to respond to speech they find distasteful or offensive by using their own speech to engage in debate, rather than attempting to shut down or even physically attack the speaker,” Ari Cohn, Senior Program Officer at FIRE, told TWS. “The preservation of freedom of expression and the development of critical thinking skills is essential to the purpose and mission of higher education, and FIRE commends GMU’s explicit recognition of their importance.”
GMU’s email is reminiscent of a letter sent earlier this year by the University of Chicago, which warned incoming freshmen that there would be no ‘trigger warnings’ or ‘safe spaces’ on campus.
Read the email in its entirety below:
