Straws in the Wind - Part 206

From Inside Higher Ed: After multiple censorship controversies over the past two months, Weber State University has announced a “revised approach” to how it enforces a sweeping anti–diversity, equity and inclusion law that the Utah Legislature passed in 2024. But it remains unclear exactly how it will change its actions. “With help from the Utah Commissioner of Higher Education, Weber State is currently reviewing our existing guidance, and where appropriate, will revise that guidance to be more nuanced in its understanding of where and how learning happens on our campuses,” interim president Leslie Durham wrote in a message to campus Friday. The Salt Lake Tribune reported earlier on the announcement.

The goal, Durham wrote, “is to uphold the letter and spirit of the law, but also to ensure we remain fiercely committed to free speech, academic freedom, and fostering an environment where everyone at WSU feels welcome to express their thoughts, engage different viewpoints, and learn from one another.” She said that “we are learning from early and well-intentioned efforts at working within this new framework.”

...Weber State made national headlines in October for censoring a conference ironically titled, Redacted: Navigating the Complexities of Censorship. A few days before the conference was to start, an official at the public institution ordered a student presenter to remove all references to DEI from their slides. Organizers ended up canceling the event after faculty pulled out in protest. The uncertified employee union held a teach-in instead, but it was also censored.

That wasn’t the end of Weber State’s speech restrictions. Late last month, Apache writer Darcie Little Badger announced on Bluesky she was withdrawing as keynote speaker at the university’s annual Native Symposium because the university sent her a list of 10 prohibited words and concepts, including “bias,” “oppression” and “racial privilege.” ...

Full story at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/academic-freedom/2025/12/10/facing-criticism-weber-state-says-it-will-be-more.

From Inside Higher Ed: Utah System of Higher Education Commissioner Geoffrey Landward criticized Weber State University’s efforts to censor speakers in the name of state law... The university said last week it had revised its approach to enforcing the state’s anti-diversity, equity and inclusion law following several censorship controversies. Last month, Apache writer Darcie Little Badger pulled out of a speaking commitment at Weber State after the university sent her a list of prohibited words and concepts, including “bias,” “oppression” and “racial privilege.” In October, the university censored and canceled a conference about censorship. “That was frankly just misguided and is contrary to what we’re trying to do with invited speakers,” Landward [said]. “We’re not banning or censoring certain words or something because that kind of defeats the whole purpose of having viewpoint diversity.” ...

Full story at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/12/17/utah-system-head-calls-out-weber-state-censorship.