On September 6, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) released its new free speech rankings which rate colleges based upon factors reflecting the degree to which free speech is promoted on each campus. Last year, FIRE surveyed 45,000 students to rank 203 universities. Then, Cornell ranked 154th at about the midpoint of the Ivies.
This year, Cornell dropped to 212th place out of 248 schools. Although Cornell is making an effort in its theme year to encourage a campus culture that promotes free speech, the survey data, which was taken in Spring 2023, shows that Cornell students continue to feel the need to self-censor.
The raw survey data was adjusted downward because of the disruption of the Ann Coulter ‘84 lecture as well as FIRE reviewing Cornell’s “speech codes” with a “yellow” grade.
The new survey data for Cornell shows:
- 37% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is never acceptable.
- 51% of students say they have rarely or never self-censored on campus.
- 39% of students say they are not worried about damaging their reputation because someone misunderstands something they have said or done.
In terms of the Ivy League, Brown ranked 69th, Columbia ranked 214th, Yale ranked 234th, Dartmouth ranked 240th, Penn ranked 247th, and Harvard ranked 248th.
Connor Murnane, FIRE’s Director of Engagement and Mobilization, said “The 2024 College Free Speech Rankings show that Cornell desperately needs their planned year of free expression to succeed. If this theme year has an impact, we will see it in next year’s survey.”
Murnane will give a lecture at Cornell in celebration of Constitution Day on September 18. The lecture is co-sponsored by the Cornell Review, the Cornell Republicans, and the Program on Freedom and Free Societies.
