Republicans announce hearings on UW free speech issues

Republicans on the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities announced on Tuesday they’d be holding a series of hearings about free speech and “intellectual diversity” on Wisconsin’s public university campuses. 

Republicans in the state have frequently complained that conservative voices are prevented from participating in campus discussions and earlier this year the University of Wisconsin System completed a survey of students from all of the system’s schools to collect their views on free speech and debate in class and on campus. Legislators have used high profile incidents of protest when conservative and right wing speakers are invited to speak on campuses as evidence that the campuses are suppressing these views. 

At a news conference Tuesday announcing the hearings, the committee’s vice chair, Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie) cited protests and vandalism that occurred on UW-Madison’s campus when anti-trans rights blogger Matt Walsh was invited by a conservative student group to give a lecture. 

The free speech survey, which was completed after pressure from Republicans, including the Assembly committee’s chair, Rep. Dave Murphy (R-Greenville), found that among the 10,000 students who responded, most believe instructors encourage a wide range of views to be discussed in class, yet 30% reported feeling uncomfortable expressing certain views in class — most notably on politically controversial issues such as abortion and transgender rights. 

The free speech survey was conducted amid controversy after its announcement caused the chancellor of UW-Whitewater to resign because he said it was being forced upon campuses by System administration under pressure from the Legislature. Faculty across the System’s 13 four-year campuses worried that the survey’s results would be used by Republicans to attack the state’s public higher education system. 

At the news conference Tuesday, Murphy and several other legislators, including Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), announced there will be two hearings on the issue, one in Madison will focus on the effects of what Republicans characterize as a lack of freedom of speech on campuses, including on the UW System’s ability to drive the state’s economy and prepare students for the workforce. A second hearing, at UW-Eau Claire, will focus on the survey results. 

“There are three constituents of the university system, students, taxpayers and employers,” Murphy said. “Taxpayers deserve to know they have a voice in the process. Employers in Wisconsin need UW graduates to keep the business engine of our state economy moving forward at optimum efficiency. They need employees with good critical thinking skills. The question then will be, could these three groups expect more for their money? And can we help them and the UW achieve it? We will look at how the lack of intellectual diversity affects graduates and employers in the business world.” 

The first hearing is set to be held in Madison on April 6 and the second in Eau Claire on April 20.