Lawrence Journal-World opinion section

It’s an unsettling sign of the times that a Kansas University governance group is looking into the possibility of proposing a specific policy to protect freedom of speech and expression at the university.

Although the free exchange of ideas should be a bedrock principle for higher education, a number of incidents in the last year have caused considerable concern in the KU community. Last week, the University Senate Executive Committee, which includes faculty, staff, student and administration representatives, unanimously approved the creation of an ad hoc committee to research and perhaps propose a specific policy to protect freedom of speech and expression at KU.

“The whole notion of how we interact with each other on this campus seemed at times challenged, at times strained,” said Mike Williams an associate professor of journalism and the outgoing University Senate president. “We are often challenged in how we are allowed to express ourselves freely.”

Although various KU policies refer to academic freedom and freedom of speech, the university doesn’t have a policy that specifically states KU’s support for those concepts. Noting that fact, Ron Barrett-Gonzalez, president of the KU chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said, “It would be a good thing for us as a community to say, ‘Yeah, this is important to us.'”

The idea that its important for faculty, staff and students at KU to have the right to speak freely about controversial issues would seem to go without saying. The ability to talk about difficult topics is an essential aspect of higher education and intellectual exploration — even if those discussions make some people uncomfortable.

It’s unfortunate that various incidents at KU — ranging from the investigation of an assistant professor’s use of the N-word during class discussion to concerns over a new social media policy instituted by the Kansas Board of Regents — have led the KU group to investigate whether specific protections for free speech are needed. It will be interesting to see what the ad hoc committee recommends.

Exposure to a variety of ideas and viewpoints is an important part of the academic process. Where better than a university for students and faculty to learn how to have those discussions in a thoughtful and respectful way? Promoting that skill in a university setting, as well as in society as a whole, would be a great benefit to the nation.