Christopher L. Eisgruber

That is, when we're talking about free speech, we have to talk about the importance of having multiple viewpoints heard, and we should care about that because it's integral to our own mission and what we're trying to do in education and research. That's different from saying that universities should reflect the political ideology of the country. We shouldn't, actually, right? We shouldn't.

That is, when we're talking about free speech, we have to talk about the importance of having multiple viewpoints heard, and we should care about that because it's integral to our own mission and what we're trying to do in education and research. That's different from saying that universities should reflect the political ideology of the country. We shouldn't, actually, right? We shouldn't.

We shouldn't. It's not our job to reflect the political ideology of the country, right? We're not We're not a Sunday morning talk show that has ideological balance on it. We need to be open to conservative views. We need to be a place where conservatives feel they can flourish. But we're supposed to be doing something different than just reflecting what's going on in the country.

We shouldn't. It's not our job to reflect the political ideology of the country, right? We're not We're not a Sunday morning talk show that has ideological balance on it. We need to be open to conservative views. We need to be a place where conservatives feel they can flourish. But we're supposed to be doing something different than just reflecting what's going on in the country.

We're supposed to be having arguments that get at truth and knowledge. And that's different from a political debating society. It's different from what goes on online. In Congress, and it's different from what goes on in a lot of journalism or from the political distribution in the country, there are political divisions about things like climate and vaccines right now.

We're supposed to be having arguments that get at truth and knowledge. And that's different from a political debating society. It's different from what goes on online. In Congress, and it's different from what goes on in a lot of journalism or from the political distribution in the country, there are political divisions about things like climate and vaccines right now.

And there is no obligation on the part of the universities to reflect what is the political division of opinion on those subjects or about, say, capitalism and investing.

And there is no obligation on the part of the universities to reflect what is the political division of opinion on those subjects or about, say, capitalism and investing.

No, Rachel, I think I need to insist on a distinction that I drew in what I just told you, which is that it's really important for conservative views to be welcome on a campus. But that's different from insisting on ideological balance on a campus. Our job is to have an honest, fair, truth-seeking process, right? And an honest, fair, truth-seeking process will produce criticisms of society.

No, Rachel, I think I need to insist on a distinction that I drew in what I just told you, which is that it's really important for conservative views to be welcome on a campus. But that's different from insisting on ideological balance on a campus. Our job is to have an honest, fair, truth-seeking process, right? And an honest, fair, truth-seeking process will produce criticisms of society.

It won't just be a mirror to society. So that's a difference. There's a second thing you said in your original question that also connects to what it is that you just asked about Christopher Rufo. You quoted some accusations that universities indoctrinate. Universities should never be indoctrinating, right? And I don't think we are.

It won't just be a mirror to society. So that's a difference. There's a second thing you said in your original question that also connects to what it is that you just asked about Christopher Rufo. You quoted some accusations that universities indoctrinate. Universities should never be indoctrinating, right? And I don't think we are.

And I don't think that the opinion data or the other serious studies of what universities do supports that. We've got to be places where robust arguments take place. I think what one has to understand is colleges and universities are going to be, I'm going to quote one of my predecessors in my office, Bill Bowen, they're going to be at a slight angle to society.

And I don't think that the opinion data or the other serious studies of what universities do supports that. We've got to be places where robust arguments take place. I think what one has to understand is colleges and universities are going to be, I'm going to quote one of my predecessors in my office, Bill Bowen, they're going to be at a slight angle to society.

They operate pursuant to a different set of principles, scholarly disciplines that provide scholarly standards for how you judge arguments that are different from what exists in the rest of society. So we shouldn't expect them just to be mirrors to what society is.

They operate pursuant to a different set of principles, scholarly disciplines that provide scholarly standards for how you judge arguments that are different from what exists in the rest of society. So we shouldn't expect them just to be mirrors to what society is.

Yeah. So, you know, let me start with this, right, which is that the circumstances right now that face any university president are really tremendously difficult circumstances. And I say that because I don't want to underestimate in any way the difficulty of the choices that my counterpart at Columbia faced. I believe it's important and essential to stand up for academic freedom.

Yeah. So, you know, let me start with this, right, which is that the circumstances right now that face any university president are really tremendously difficult circumstances. And I say that because I don't want to underestimate in any way the difficulty of the choices that my counterpart at Columbia faced. I believe it's important and essential to stand up for academic freedom.

But the threats to an institution that are coming when the government says it's going to deprive that institution, of federal funding are severe in a way that present really hard choices. Presidents are talking to one another about this. I chair the board for the Association of American Universities. Board meetings occur regularly. Now, they used to be twice a year.

But the threats to an institution that are coming when the government says it's going to deprive that institution, of federal funding are severe in a way that present really hard choices. Presidents are talking to one another about this. I chair the board for the Association of American Universities. Board meetings occur regularly. Now, they used to be twice a year.