Furman Needs to Walk Its Talk on Free Speech
Furman alumnus Evan Myers writes a guest commentary in The Post and Currier, highlighting the need for alumni to hold their administration accountable for protecting and promoting free speech on campus. What can we glean for UVA?
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EXCERPT
More and more Furman alumni like me are joining the Furman Free Speech Alliance. We love our alma mater, and we want Furman to be a place where we can be proud to send our children. So, we’re holding the administration accountable for protecting and promoting free speech on campus.
And we’re not alone.
A fast-growing number of alumni at colleges and universities across the country — from nearby Davidson to the Ivy Leagues — are fed up with the status quo and are advocating major reforms at their schools. Earlier this year, for example, thanks to pressure from alumni at Harvard and MIT, both schools dropped their requirement for prospective professors seeking employment to write a statement describing their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
As the school year begins, we call on Furman to do the same. Indeed, if Furman wants to fulfill its potential, it is time for the university to abandon its requirement for professors to write these onerous and politically charged statements. Why? Because they are designed to filter for candidates' political views, not their academic excellence or potential to be great professors.
This is especially important at a small liberal arts school such as Furman, where professors make or break the educational experience. Historically, the faculty has been one of the school’s strong suits, and I know that countless alumni like me are grateful for the relationships we were able to build with our professors.
But without action now, that could change forever.
Evan Myers graduated from Furman University in 2021. He is an editor and writer in Washington.