Describing the matter as “timely and serious,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos argued broadly on Thursday that threats to free speech on college campuses must be “address[ed] from a multitude of angles.”
During an interview on stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the secretary acknowledged a rise in censorship on campuses, arguing the country has “seen more and more examples on college campuses in recent years of shutting down free and open expression and debate around ideas.”
DeVos, drawing on her own experience, said she saw college as “a place where I could test out some of the things I was taught,” and “entertain new thoughts and ideas.”
Higher education, she said, “should be a place where we explore new opinions and ideas,” though today that “possibility is more and more controlled.”
“This administration is committed to upholding those freedoms of expression and exchange of ideas, and we will be continuing to advance this notion that the place to have fights, so to speak, is in the battle of ideas,” DeVos said.
Under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Department of Justice has been particularly aggressive in addressing campus conflicts over free speech, filing statements of interest in several court cases. DeVos spoke in broader terms on Thursday, not delving into the specific plans of her department, but for conservatives gathered at the annual conference, having an ally in the post is no insignificant step.
DeVos struck an optimistic note, assuring students that when speech is free, the outcome is positive.
“Good ideas are always going to win,” she maintained.
