Ten examples of how universities can promote free speech  

• Have a ‘Freedom of Speech’ link to their free speech code/policy on the home page of the university and a dedicated free speech web page, with links to all relevant documents in one place. Have requirements for staff and student behaviour which prohibit harassment, bullying and severe personal attacks and other hostile action against people in connection with their viewpoints, and other action which will help avoid or reduce any hostile atmosphere at the Higher Education Provider (HEP) which chills people’s willingness to speak their minds.
• Organise a free speech stand and event at Freshers’ Week.
• Ensure all staff have sufficient information and training in the context of their roles on the university’s values and requirements, and the law, relating to free speech and its protection, and students have sufficient information and training on the university’s values and requirements relating to free speech and its protection.
• Actively organise public debates around controversial topics and bear the security costs of these, and other approved debates organised at the university. Censorship by charging must not become a norm.
• Bear the cost of appropriate security for events to uphold freedom of speech within the law, as required by the law. This means that, once an event is approved, the university can’t charge organisers for security except in genuinely exceptional circumstances.
• Adopt the ‘Kalven Principle’ of Institutional Neutrality. This means that a university must not take an institutional position, or take faculty positions, on political and social issues. This principle applies to adopting the polices and positions of partisan organisations.
• Appoint at least one individual free speech champion, to be its internal advocate for free speech and academic freedom, with responsibility for ensuring that the HEP complies with its legal obligations. That champion should be appropriately senior, empowered, available, experienced and trained, and non-conflicted.
• Have a specific free speech complaints’ procedure for staff, students and visiting speakers who feel their free speech rights have been contravened.
• End the practice of monitoring staff social media accounts to identify ‘unacceptable’ or ‘offensive’ opinions.
• Produce a public annual report on how they have, and how they will, ensure freedom of speech.

These examples are the result of discussions between the major free speech organisations, AFAF, AFFS, CAF, LUCAF and SAFAF. They will be the focus of future assessments of how any higher education institution supports free speech.