School Spotlight

Ashland University
Speech Code Rating
- At present, FIRE does not maintain information on this school's policies.
Ashland University: Professor Denied Tenure Because of Objectivist Scholarship
March 5, 2007
After denying tenure to a history professor because he engaged in Objectivist scholarship, Ohio’s Ashland University has struck a deal with John Lewis, granting him tenure but only if he resigns from the university. FIRE wrote to Ashland in March advocating for Lewis’ tenure bid, citing the fact that the university had accepted $100,000 from… Read more
Ashland University joins growing number of colleges and universities adopting the ‘Chicago Statement’
October 6, 2017
Early this week, Ashland University (AU) announced its official adoption of a policy statement endorsing free speech, modeled largely on the Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression at the University of Chicago, better known as the “Chicago Statement.” AU’s laudable commitment comes in response to an AU Student Senate resolution, which requested that… Read more
FIRE’s Ashland University Case on Volokh
July 19, 2007
Our recent involvement at Ashland University continues to gain attention on the web with a post on the widely read Volokh Conspiracy blog by David Bernstein. Torch readers will recall that Ashland denied Professor John Lewis tenure for engaging in Objectivist scholarship that did not comport with the school’s “Judeo-Christian tradition.” This was after Ashland… Read more
Word Gets out about FIRE’s Case at Ashland University
July 13, 2007
FIRE’s recent case at Ashland University has caught the attention of several blogs. As we revealed yesterday, John Lewis, a professor of classical history at Ashland, was hired with the understanding that he would devote part of his time to the study of Objectivism. In contract with the university, the Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship… Read more
Ashland University: No Objectivists Need Apply
July 12, 2007
As common as tenure disputes may be within academic circles, rarely do institutions penalize professors for pursuing research outlined in their faculty contracts and expressly approved by top administrators. That’s what makes FIRE’s case at Ashland University so unique—and outrageous. John Lewis is a classical historian whose work on Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism constitutes… Read more
Follow FIRE