Differing perspectives: A view of free speech on campus

By Kim McDarison

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student and chairman of the UW-Whitewater chapter of the Wisconsin College Republicans John Beauchamp says he is an advocate for free speech. 

His organization recently hosted a presentation made on campus by Kellyanne Conway, the nationally known pollster, political pundit and campaign manager in 2016 for former President Donald Trump. 

Wednesday, as he introduced Conway, Beauchamp included within his comments concerns about what he said was “an ever-increasing blockage” when it came to free speech associated with he and his club members getting their message heard. 

“We find ourselves shouted down, and shut up, but we will not be silenced,” he told the 200 or so audience members assembled in the Timmerman Auditorium on campus. 

Free speech as an issue was being discussed on campus before the arrival of Conway. 

Former UW-Whitewater Interim Chancellor Jim Henderson tendered his resignation on April 4. In the reporting that followed, it was noted that a survey about free speech, intended by the UW System to be distributed to students systemwide, was a factor when the former interim chancellor made his decision to resign. 

On April 5, a news release issued by the UW System announced that the system would be launching a systemwide survey on April 7. 

In the debate that followed, which some system and campus administrative, faculty and student leaders have said, centered around the intent and timing of the survey, the system postponed its plans. The system has not announced its plans for launching the survey in the future. 

At UW-Whitewater, the teacher’s union launched an online petition, which, Chris Ramaekers, the union’s president, told Fort Atkinson Online in an earlier interview, sought to accomplish three things: it seeks support in objecting to political interference on campus, and points to the methodology and process used to administer a proposed free speech survey.

UW System chancellors were recently informed by the UW System interim president about a free speech survey, which had been slated for distribution earlier this month to all UW System students, Ramaekers said, adding that he and other faculty members on campus became aware of the survey after it was tied to the abrupt resignation of Henderson.

The petition has since, as of Thursday, been signed by 37 people. 

While not specifically addressing the proposed survey, UW-Whitewater Associate Professor and Faculty Senate Chairperson Tracy Hawkins said, The UW-Whitewater Faculty Senate had, on April 12, approved a resolution opposing political interference throughout the UW System. 

On April 6, leaders from student governments from five of the system campuses, including Whitewater, sent a letter to the interim system president, enumerating their concerns with the proposed free speech survey. 

The students wrote: “The topic of free speech at our universities has been used in the political arena to divide our students, create unwarranted resentment towards public higher education, and pass unjust laws limiting educational freedoms and the ability to have an honest conversation in the classroom. While we clearly support academic freedom and free speech rights, student perceptions of these complex topics must be studied in an academically rigorous manner for the results to be effective. This starts with engaging stakeholders from across the UW System.” 

In an earlier interview with Fort Atkinson Online, Beauchamp said that he did not see the intent of the survey as working to advance a conservative agenda. 

“I don’t believe free speech belongs to one side or the other. Everyone should be passionate about free speech,” he said. 

Campuses, and not just in Whitewater, were founded on the principles of free speech, and are meant to be incubators of thoughts and ideas, Beauchamp said. 

“If a campus community is really a beacon of free speech, there should really be nothing to hide,” he said. 

Beauchamp said that through his own discussions with student leaders on his campus and others, he saw an issue developing on campuses, including Whitewater, in which students espousing conservative ideas, or even those which he described as apolitcal, were “unable to share their opinions at times. So I do believe there is a little bit of an issue at times,” he said.  

He said there is an atmosphere on campus that keeps conservatives and others from having free speech. 

“On the side of Republicans and conservatives, we cherish free speech and the inclusion of ideas,” he added.

Beauchamp said that while he believed the Republican group on campus was considered one of the more welcoming to other students and student groups, it was not always received in the same manner by others.  

“We’ve encountered quite a bit of intolerance, and I think intolerance and hostile environments to free speech is increasing,” Beauchamp said. 

He described vandalism on campus made to his club’s event posters, and verbal exchanges at event tables. 

“Colleges were meant to provide for the sharing of different ideas and different opinions, and the fact is that’s not what we’re seeing these days. 

“I’m not trying to accuse the administration at UW-Whitewater of any kind of free speech coverup,” Beauchamp said, adding: “When we go to the proper channels, things are typically dealt with, but we are seeing an overall intolerance towards conservative ideas, and not the free and open exchange of ideas that should be there. 

“We should not have to bring concerns to proper channels. We should be able to share our ideas and opinions without fear of being harassed for them, essentially,” he said.  

Beauchamp said he and his club members would like to see the survey administered on campus and its results. 

“I’m disappointed that student leaders on this campus and others don’t want to see these results about what’s happening on their own campuses,” he said.  

Beauchamp noted that he had seen the survey and its questions, and while he was aware that some on campus had expressed concerns with the survey that its questions are bias, he did not share that view.  

About the survey, he said: “I have had discussions with our Student Government leaders and I still don’t see any concern. It’s something that everyone should be able to get behind, and frankly, I’m not seeing the ‘slantedness’ that people are claiming these questions have.” 

An earlier story about alleged political interference and the debate over free speech on campus is here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/uw-whitewater-teachers-union-circulates-petition-against-political-interference/.