You’d like to talk about intellectual freedom on campus? Yeah nah, let’s wait for a crisis

Protestors block the entrance to an address by Bettina Arndt at Sydney University in September last year. Picture: Supplied

Too hot. ABC, May 11, 2015:

The University of Western Australia has cancelled the contract for a policy centre that was to be based on the methodology of controversial academic Bjorn Lomborg after a “passionate emotional (student and staff) reaction” to the plan. The federal government had pledged to contribute $4 million to the Consensus Centre, a think tank that was to use methods similar to those used by Dr Lomberg’s Copenhagen Centre. Dr Lomborg has attracted controversy for suggesting that the dangers of climate change are overstated, and that society faces other more pressing challenges such as global poverty.

Perthnow.com.au, August 17 last year:

The University of WA has cancelled a controversial lecture by an American doctor who claims transgender people are mentally ill citing its venue hire policy … Earlier this week UWA refused to … ban the lecture despite receiving a 6000-strong petition …

A protest poster at La Trobe University in Melbourne.

News.com.au, September 12 last year:

The riot squad was called to the University of Sydney after commentator and sex therapist Bettina Arndt faced a storm of protesters. Ms Arndt was invited to speak at the university on what she says is the myth of a rape crisis on campuses. When police arrived, up to 40 students were blocking access to the event.

The Federal Court finds Peter Ridd, a climate science critic, was unlawfully sacked by James Cook University last year, judgment, April 16:

(JCU) found an email that Professor Ridd had sent to a student (with) a copy of (an article from The Australian and) in the subject line the words “for your amusement”. (JCU found this) was contrary to the “no satire direction” … (The) no satire direction (was) designed to limit what Professor Ridd said or did … (That) direction was unlawful in that it sought to interfere with (Ridd’s) rights …

Guardian Australia, November 14 last year:

The government has asked a former chief justice of the high court, Robert French, to review the health of freedom of speech on … campuses …

Peak university lobby Universities Australia, November 14 last year:

… universities have more than 100 policies, codes and agreements that support free intellectual inquiry. UA (chairwoman) Margaret Gardner said: “In this context, it is unclear what issue the government is seeking to address.”

French report, March 27:

Reported incidents in Australia in recent times do not establish a systemic pattern of action by higher education providers or student representative bodies, adverse to freedom of speech or intellectual inquiry in the higher education sector … (But) even a limited number of incidents seen as affecting freedom of speech may have an adverse impact on public perception of the higher education sector … Many of the higher education rules and policies (of universities) use broad language capable of impinging on freedom of expression … That kind of terminology in rules and policies … is rife on university campuses …

UA statement, April 8:

(The French report) … found claims of a free speech crisis are “not substantiated” … Universities will give careful consideration to the recommendations … However, we remain concerned that sector-wide legislative or regulatory requirements would be aimed at solving a problem that has not been demonstrated to exist and any changes could conflict with … university autonomy.