From moral authority to risk management: How university presidents stopped speaking their minds

From moral authority to risk management: How university presidents stopped speaking their minds

A growing number of colleges and universities have adopted policies in the last few years to remain politically neutral. kid-a/iStock / Getty Images PlusThroughout the 20th century, college and university presidents spoke out on everything, from wars to civil rights struggles, with a sense of moral authority attempting to guide the course. Their language was typically direct and free of jargon. “Democracy is the best form of government. It is wo…

From moral authority to risk management: How university presidents stopped speaking their minds

by Austin Sarat, Amherst College, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Throughout the 20th century, college and university presidents spoke out on everything, from wars to civil rights struggles, with a sense of moral authority attempting to guide the course. Their language was typically direct and free of jargon. “Democracy is the best form of government. It is worth dying for,” Robert M. Hutchins, pres…