From The Director: Victory for Academic Freedom in Iowa

After hearing from students and faculty across the state, Iowa legislators defeated the latest attempt to clamp down on the free exchange of ideas in Iowa college classrooms.  The so-called “intellectual diversity” bill died in the Education Committee after its hearing. 

As we've done with past proposals to restrict what students can learn and faculty members can teach in college and university classrooms, the Center worked closely with our allies in the Free Exchange on Campus Coalition to mobilize students and faculty.  Through this work, Iowa State University's AAUP Chapter and Student Government spoke out against the bill. 

While we've thus far been able to stop all of the legislative attempts to restrict the free exchange of ideas on college classrooms, it's clearly premature to think that these attacks are entirely a thing of the past.  We'll continue to monitor state legislatures and other decision-making bodies to make sure that the next set of proposals to restrict debate and discussion go the way of Iowa's bill.