This fall, dissent at American colleges has grown beyond student activism to include faculty members, who are increasingly involved in pushing back against new restrictions on protests.
These restrictions, such as those at Indiana University and others, are seen by professors as threats to free speech and academic freedom, central to university life.
Faculty are organizing protests, vigils, and public statements to defend these rights, viewing the issue not only as one of free expression but also as a labor issue. With tenure protections weakening and political pressures rising, faculty feel their role in governance is being undermined.
Many have voiced concerns that these restrictions disproportionately target pro-Palestinian activism, particularly in response to last spring’s protests about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
This movement has united faculty across various institutions, with some professors even facing disciplinary action for their involvement in protests. The growing tension highlights broader concerns about academic freedom, political influence, and the right to dissent in an increasingly restrictive environment.
Faculty leaders like Todd Wolfson and Risa Lieberwitz emphasize that protecting free speech is critical to the academic mission of universities, advocating for stronger faculty governance and unionization efforts as a response to these challenges.