America's colleges and universities were once thought to be bastions of free thought and open inquiry. They served a civic purpose as much as educational — dedicated to growth and discovery, preparing engaged and informed citizens to lead across the business, government, and nonprofit sectors. They were home to rigorous research, critical thinking, and open debate.
Unfortunately, that is no longer the case for many colleges across the country. Instead, many do a great disservice to our nation's young people by creating “eggshell environments,” which inhibit rather than encourage free speech and free inquiry. I borrow the term from Kim Barrett, a 2018 graduate of Smith College who noted in her campus newspaper that within her first days on campus, she “witnessed countless conversations that consisted of one person telling the other that their opinion was wrong. The word ‘offensive' was almost always included in the reasoning.” Shortly after these incidents and for the rest of her four years, Barrett notes, “I learned, along with every other student, to walk on eggshells for fear that I may say something ‘offensive.' That is the social norm here.”
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