All members of the University of Iowa community—our faculty, students, alumni, and staff—are free to express viewpoints in public forums. This includes viewpoints that may differ from the majority of people in the University community. As an educational and research institution, the University of Iowa is also fully committed to free inquiry and vigorous debate. Free expression, academic freedom, and diversity of perspectives are all crucial to the fulfillment of our core mission. The robust exchange of diverse ideas is the essence of a public research university.

Our commitments to free expression and an inclusive community are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, throughout our nation’s history, the rights of free speech and association have been indispensable to the causes of civil rights, justice, and equality. Likewise, academic freedom has allowed faculty, primarily through teaching and research, to challenge entrenched ideas and assumptions without fear of reprisal.