School Spotlight
Princeton University
Location:
Princeton, New Jersey
Type:
Private
Speech Code Rating
Princeton University has been given the speech code rating Red. A red light university has at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech.
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This school has adopted the chicago statement for free speech.
Guidelines for Compliance with the Acceptable Use Policy
Speech Code Rating: Red
Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: September 18, 2021University IT and digital resources may not be used to transmit malicious, harassing, or defamatory content. You must be sensitive to the public nature of shared facilities, and take care not to display on workstations in such locations inappropriate images, sounds, or messages which could create an atmosphere of ho... Read MoreRights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-Wide Regulations- 1.2.1 Respect for Others
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: September 18, 2021Actions which make the atmosphere intimidating, threatening, or hostile to individuals are therefore regarded as serious offenses. Abusive or harassing behavior, verbal or physical, which demeans, intimidates, threatens, or injures another because of personal characteristics or beliefs or their expression, is subjec... Read MoreRights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-Wide Regulations- 1.2.3 Peaceful Dissent, Protests, and Demonstrations
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: September 18, 2021In view of Princeton’s obligation to promote the free expression of all views, the campus is open to any speaker whom students or members of the faculty have invited and for whom official arrangements to speak have been made with the University. The right of free speech in a university also includes the right ... Read MoreUniversity Sexual Misconduct Policy
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: September 18, 2021University Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome verbal or physical behavior which is directed at an individual based on sex, when these behaviors are sufficiently severe or pervasive to have the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s educational experience, working conditions, or living conditions by creati... Read MoreRights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-wide Regulations- 1.2.2 Discrimination or Harassment (Based on a Protected Characteristic)
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: September 18, 2021Harassment is unwelcome verbal or physical behavior which is directed at a person based on a protected characteristic, when these behaviors are sufficiently severe and/or pervasive to have the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s educational experience, working conditions or living conditio... Read MoreRights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-Wide Regulations- 1.2.4 Distribution of Written Materials by Members of the University Community
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
Last updated: September 18, 2021Free inquiry, free expression, and civility within this academic community are indispensable to the University’s objectives. Inclusion of the name, telephone number, and/or email address of the University sponsoring organization or individual member of the University community on material resembling petitions,... Read MoreRights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-wide Regulations – 1.1.3 Statement on Freedom of Expression
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: September 18, 2021[T]he University’s fundamental commitment is to the principle that debate or deliberation may not be suppressed because the ideas put forth are thought by some or even by most members of the University community to be offensive, unwise, immoral, or wrong-headed. It is for the individual members of the University com... Read MoreTitle IX Sexual Harassment Policy
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: September 18, 2021Title IX Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome sexual conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies an individual equal access to the University’s education program or activity; … Read MoreRights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-Wide Regulations- 1.2.3 Peaceful Dissent, Protests and Demonstrations
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: September 18, 2021Free speech and peaceable assembly are basic requirements of the University as a center for free inquiry and the search for knowledge and insight. Read MoreRights, Rules, Responsibilities: University-Wide Regulations- 1.1.1 Introduction
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: September 18, 2021The central purposes of a university are the pursuit of truth, the discovery of new knowledge through scholarship and research, the teaching and general development of students, and the transmission of knowledge and learning to society at large. Free inquiry and free expression within the academic community are indi... Read More
Policies are rated on their inclusion of 10 due process safeguards. Each policy may receive 2 points for fully including that safeguard, 1 point for partial inclusion, and 0 points for no meaningful inclusion. Most, but not all, institutions have separate policies for sexual misconduct and all other misconduct. See FIRE’s Spotlight on Due Process report for more information.
Grades
FIRE surveyed roughly 44,000 students at 203 colleges and universities about the climate for free speech at their institutions. See the full report on FIRE’s 2022 College Free Speech Rankings for more information.
Overall / out of a top score of 100 |
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| Overall Score | 35.32 |
Rankings / out of 203 colleges ranked |
|
| Overall Ranking | 169 |
| Openness | 52 |
| Tolerance (Liberals) | 15 |
| Tolerance (Conservatives) | 54 |
| Administrative Support | 2 |
| Comfort | 69 |
| Disruptive Conduct | 192 |
Administrative Behavior |
|
| Supported Scholars | 0 |
| Sanctioned Scholars | 3 |
| Successful Disinvitations | 0 |
Climate |
|
| Speech Climate | BELOW AVERAGE |
| Speech Code | RED |
Wilson Report: FIRE Writes to 15 Top Schools to Express Concern About Their Press Policies
November 12, 2020
On November 10, 2020, FIRE sent letters to 15 top colleges and universities across the country to express concern regarding their restrictive press policies. These letters followed a report published by John K. Wilson of the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement (the “Wilson Report”), which gave each of these… Read more
Princeton University: Refusal to Recognize Religious Group
April 19, 2005
Princeton Faith and Action, a student organization at Princeton University, was given recognition after being arbitrarily denied such. PFA is associated with the Christian Union, an off-campus ministry serving Ivy League universities whose own request to apply to have a full-time chaplain on campus was rejected by Dean of Religious Life Thomas Breidenthal. After being… Read more
A tale of two pretexts: Sham investigations silence professors at Central Florida and Princeton
May 31, 2022
As universities go, Princeton and the University of Central Florida may not have much in common, but they do share a mechanism for getting rid of inconvenient professors: finding a reason to investigate and fire them over something unrelated, after they’ve said something controversial. So far, it’s working better for Princeton than for UCF. On… Read more
Alumni Spotlight: Princetonians for Free Speech
March 11, 2022
One of America’s oldest universities, Princeton was established before the Union itself. It is nationally recognized as a bastion of academic excellence, due in part to its 11 National Humanities Medal recipients, 215 Rhodes Scholars, and 137 Marshall Scholars. Princeton graduates are proud of their alma mater’s history and its involvement during a pivotal battle… Read more
Princeton’s president on free speech, the pursuit of truth, and consequences
March 3, 2021
In his State of the University letter last month, Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber devoted a significant portion of his dispatch to freedom of speech and its place alongside truth-seeking among Princeton’s fundamental institutional values. It’s an interesting and worthwhile letter, and I recommend reading it in full. Its affirmations of free expression are by… Read more
FIRE urges 15 top colleges and universities to improve restrictive press policies
November 12, 2020
Over the summer, a report from the University of California’s National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement revealed that a majority of top colleges and universities maintain policies unfriendly to the press, including the student press. As FIRE reported at the time, UC Center fellow John K. Wilson found that these policies include requirements… Read more
Amidst FIRE’s record-breaking summer, demands to terminate faculty went mainstream
October 13, 2020
20 minutes in Saratoga Springs It’s worth getting to know the case of Skidmore College professor David Peterson, if you haven’t read about it. Peterson, an art professor at Skidmore in Saratoga Springs, New York for more than 30 years, unwittingly came into notoriety when he and his wife checked out a pro-police rally near… Read more
We waited with bated breath for Princeton to affirm faculty free expression. What took so long?
July 21, 2020
In a Daily Princetonian op-ed Monday, President Christopher Eisgruber finally admitted that faculty members can have opinions — because it’s 2020 and apparently amidst protests and a pandemic, some have forgotten that foundational tenet of higher education. The long-awaited defense comes after a professor faced a not-so-veiled threat of investigation for his political statements at… Read more
Princeton must clarify it won’t investigate Joshua Katz for opinion piece
July 17, 2020
Princeton classics professor Joshua Katz faces not just criticism for a controversial op-ed he wrote — but formal calls for the Ivy League university to punish him for it. Troublingly, while Princeton makes strong promises of free speech and academic freedom, the university’s public statements on the matter have suggested it may indeed be investigating… Read more
Princeton faculty petition threatens free speech, academic freedom
July 8, 2020
At my alma mater, Princeton University, hundreds of faculty, staff, and graduate students have signed a petition demanding the university “take immediate concrete and material steps to openly and publicly acknowledge the way that anti-Black racism, and racism of any stripe, continue to thrive on its campus.” The petition includes a long list of “demands,”… Read more
Princeton’s president reiterates support for free expression, peaceful protest
June 21, 2017
The June 7 issue of Princeton Alumni Weekly included an article from the president of Princeton University, Christopher L. Eisgruber, titled “Free Speech at Princeton.” The article articulates and reiterates Princeton’s commitment to the values of free speech and free inquiry, a commitment that led the institution to adopt the University of Chicago’s “Report of… Read more
Princeton Open Campus Coalition Seeks to Revive ‘Interpersonal and Intellectual Health’ at Old Nassau
October 26, 2016
I have written on numerous occasions over the years about the state of free speech at my alma mater, Princeton University. During my own years at Princeton (I graduated in 1999, which suddenly sounds a lot longer ago than it used to!), I found the climate for free speech to be generally supportive. Over those… Read more
Harvard Law’s Randall Kennedy Praises Chicago Statement in Princeton Commencement Address
June 1, 2016
Addressing Princeton University’s Class of 2016 on Sunday, Harvard Law School professor Randall Kennedy singled out Princeton’s adoption of the University of Chicago’s statement on campus free expression as one of the reasons Princeton students are especially well-suited to become “ambassadors of higher education” when they graduate. Kennedy said, “Being an ambassador for higher education… Read more
Free Speech at Princeton: A Report From the Front Lines
December 17, 2015
Yesterday afternoon, I visited Princeton University (my alma mater) to participate in a panel entitled “Free Speech, Media and Social Justice.” The panel, sponsored by the student newspaper, The Daily Princetonian, began typically enough, with each of my co-panelists and I giving a brief introduction to our perspective. I spoke about FIRE’s support for (and… Read more
First to Adopt Chicago Statement, Princeton’s Free Speech Promises More Than Just Talk
September 29, 2015
Earlier this year, Princeton University became the first university to follow the University of Chicago’s lead by adopting Chicago’s statement on free expression, promising broad protection for speech on campus. The principles, adopted at Princeton in April by way of a faculty resolution, came after some professors grew increasingly concerned about creeping campus censorship. Sergiu… Read more
‘NY Daily News’ to NY Colleges: Adopt U. of Chicago Statement on Free Speech
August 24, 2015
Back in January, FIRE proudly endorsed the excellent free speech policy statement issued by the Committee on Freedom of Expression at the University of Chicago. In the months since, we’ve been pleased to see Purdue University and Princeton University follow suit by adopting the statement as institutional policy—and this fall, FIRE will mount a national… Read more
Fighting for Free Speech at Private Universities
July 27, 2015
It’s your first day as a student on the campus of your private university. You’re excited to discover what college has to offer. And you’re already about to make a big mistake. During orientation, a number of topics are discussed: choosing the right courses, joining student organizations, and complying with community standards. At some point,… Read more
Princeton Students Debate Limits of Free Expression
April 16, 2015
In the week and a half since the Princeton faculty approved a new statement on free expression, students have been vigorously debating the statement and the question of free speech on campus more generally. While some remarks have reflected the regrettable “I have the right not to be offended” attitude too prevalent among college students… Read more
Student Journalists Commit to Rigorous Reporting
February 4, 2015
Torch readers know that FIRE has been less than impressed with reckless or one-sided reporting, particularly on the issue of campus sexual assault. As I wrote yesterday, biased media coverage often serves as a catalyst for policy changes and legislation that threaten to deprive accused students of a fair hearing. It’s refreshing, therefore, to see… Read more
Amherst College Settles with Student Who Sued Over Withheld Diploma
January 26, 2015
Amherst College has settled a lawsuit brought last June by a student identified only as John Doe. Doe filed the lawsuit after the college withheld his diploma because of a sexual assault allegation from 2009 that had long since been resolved—or so he thought. After the allegations arose initially, Doe was placed on medical leave… Read more
Princeton Adopts ‘Preponderance’ Standard, Reaches Agreement with Department of Education
November 10, 2014
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced last week that it has entered into a resolution agreement with Princeton University after finding that the institution was in violation of Title IX. OCR’s demands include the use of the “preponderance of the evidence” standard of proof in adjudicating sexual misconduct cases—meaning that students… Read more
Reversing Course, Princeton’s Proposed Sexual Assault Policy Chips Away at Due Process
September 23, 2014
Next week, the Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC) will decide whether to adopt a proposed sexual assault policy already approved by Princeton faculty members that would, among other things, change the standard of proof in sexual misconduct cases, weakening due process protections for accused students. Currently, a student charged with sexual misconduct at… Read more
Princeton Admins Force Censorship of Interactive Art Installation
April 22, 2014
From April 13 through May 3, a group of students at Princeton University are asking, “What will you bring to The Surface?”
“The Surface” is an interactive art installation consisting of approximately 224 square feet of white wooden boards set up on the lawn on which anyone can draw or paint—or even censor— the work of visitors before them. Veterans of free speech walls would not be surprised by what the students have brought to the installation thus far: a range of thought-provoking questions, angry rants, cute drawings, some profanity—and the inevitable penis drawing. But the last of these was apparently a step too far for Princeton administrators. A panel containing such an illustration was removed, and was returned to the project’s creators only when the offending material was painted over.
Princeton Students Form Much-Needed Free Speech Advocacy Group
December 10, 2012
Students at Princeton University have formed a new group "to encourage campus-wide conversation and protect student speech," The Daily Princetonian reported yesterday. The group, called Princetonians for Individual Rights in Education (PIRE for short; no affiliation with FIRE, although we are flattered that we were reportedly part of the inspiration for the group), was started… Read more
AP: Sexual Assault Claims on Campus a ‘Legal Minefield’
April 23, 2012
This weekend, Justin Pope of the Associated Press came out with a pair of thorough and insightful articles about the “legal minefield” in which universities currently find themselves when it comes to addressing claims of sexual assault on campus. As Pope explains, Typically, colleges enjoy wide leeway in responding to student misconduct, whether that means… Read more
Harvey Silverglate and Samantha Harris on Free Speech in ‘Princeton Alumni Weekly’
October 26, 2011
Check out FIRE Chairman Harvey Silverglate and Director of Speech Code Research Samantha Harris’ essay on free speech at their mutual alma mater in this week’s Princeton Alumni Weekly. Harvey and Samantha point out to Princeton alumni how their college’s policies leave today’s Princeton students subject to punishment for speaking their minds on controversial issues, or even for sending emails… Read more
More Unsavory Disinvitations: This Time, Nonie Darwish at Princeton and Columbia
December 10, 2009
More points were scored recently for the angry "heckler’s veto" when protesters (including at least one Princeton administrator) successfully pressured Nonie Darwish’s student hosts to cancel her speaking events at Princeton and Columbia universities. Darwish is Founder and Director of Former Muslims United. Darwish’s November 18, 2009, speech at Princeton was canceled the evening before… Read more
The State of Free Speech on Campus: Princeton University
June 22, 2009
Throughout the spring semester and into the early summer, FIRE is drawing special attention to the state of free speech at America’s top 25 national universities (as ranked by U.S. News & World Report). We have now come to our final two universities: Princeton and Harvard. Today we review policies at my alma mater, Princeton… Read more
Upon Return to Princeton, FIRE Intern Advocates for Reform
September 11, 2008
2008 FIRE summer intern Michael Davidson alerts us this morning to his op-ed in today’s edition of The Daily Princetonian, Princeton University‘s student newspaper. Mike’s opinion piece, entitled "The hidden scandal of Princeton’s speech code," alerts the Princeton community to its designation by FIRE as a red-light school. (To earn a red-light rating, a school… Read more
FIRE’s Samantha Harris Profiled in the ‘Daily Princetonian’
February 20, 2007
Yesterday’s Daily Princetonian, Princeton University’s student newspaper, carried an article well worth reading—a profile of FIRE’s own Samantha Harris, Director of Legal and Public Advocacy. Sam well deserves the honor with the outstanding work she does for FIRE. Click on the link above to read more about the person Professor Robert George calls “one of… Read more
At Princeton, a (Mostly) Satisfactory Resolution to the Satire Controversy
January 24, 2007
In a refreshing development, The Daily Princetonian joke op-ed controversy will resolve itself through campus discussion, not through administrative intervention. Even though the op-ed garnered a good amount of media attention—enough to be featured in The New York Times—administrators at Princeton have limited their involvement to a strongly worded letter to the editor. While Janet… Read more
Here We Go Again: A Satire Uproar at Princeton
January 19, 2007
A mock op-ed published in the joke issue of The Daily Princetonian has ignited one of the first major free speech controversies of the new semester. The column, written by the paper’s managing board, “ran with the byline ‘Lian Ji,’ referring to Yale freshman Jian Li, who filed a bias complaint against the university last year,… Read more
FIRE Letter to the Editor in ‘The Daily Princetonian’
October 4, 2006
In response to boos from the audience during a portion of Princeton’s “Sex on a Saturday Night” play when two males kissed, Andy Brown, the play’s co-director, wrote an editorial in The Daily Princetonian condemning those who jeered. He wrote that: The LGBT Center notes [Princeton’s] definition [of sexual harassment] to the realm of sexual… Read more
Are Pictures of Abortion ‘Hate Speech?’
May 11, 2006
Last week, Phi Beta Cons noted a story in the Bellingham (Wash.) Herald describing yet another instance of vandalism of a pro-life display. According to the Herald, Western Washington University student David Janus Zhang was so enraged by a “display showing pictures of aborted fetuses next to images of genocide” that he jumped over a… Read more
Wendy McElroy Lauds FIRE
December 21, 2005
Friend of FIRE Wendy McElroy has an excellent article on foxnews.com about FIRE’s new Guide to First-Year Orientation and Thought Reform on Campus. McElroy writes: The Guide is yet another indication that political correctness is faltering on campuses across North America. To those who value the right of individuals to a conscience—that is, to judge… Read more
Christian Student Group at Princeton Wins Religious Freedom Victory
May 17, 2005
Princeton University has decided it will no longer deny official recognition to an evangelical Christian student group. The school’s Dean of Religious Life, Thomas Breidenthal, had withheld recognized status from Princeton Faith and Action, but the university administration reversed course after an advocacy group intervened. Princeton Faith and Action (PFA) is associated with the Christian… Read more
Princeton Changes Policy on Religious Groups
May 16, 2005
Following the victory FIRE announced last week, the Daily Princetonian reported on Friday that Princeton has moved quickly to fulfill its promise to FIRE that it would make any changes necessary for its student organization recognition procedures to be consistent with student’s freedom of expression and legal equality. The article reports: Under the new policy,… Read more
Princeton Victory Covered by AP
May 12, 2005
Check out the short and sweet article by Associated Press writer Chris Newmarker about the Princeton religious liberty victory we announced yesterday. I was quoted: “We found Princeton’s quick and fair response very encouraging. We’ve found other colleges who haven’t been particularly fair to religious groups, sometimes in an unconstitutional way,” which captures what I… Read more
Princeton Does the Right Thing
May 11, 2005
If there is one constant in modern academic censorship it is that conservative or orthodox religious groups consistently face high hurdles to recognition and campus existence. Whether administrative objections are rooted in concerns about “homophobia” or “religious discrimination” or simple distaste for “controversy”, Christian and now Muslim student organizations are facing an epidemic of attacks… Read more
Victory for Freedom of Association and Religious Liberty at Princeton University
May 11, 2005
PRINCETON, N.J., May 11, 2005—In an important victory for religious liberty and freedom of association, Princeton University has decided to recognize a Christian student group that had been arbitrarily denied official recognition. After the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) wrote to Princeton on behalf of the Princeton Faith and Action (PFA) student group… Read more
For the Sake of Student and Faculty ‘Diversity’
April 20, 2005
The Chronicle of Higher Education published an article today (account required to access) that discusses the importance of racial and ethnic diversity in higher education. While I personally agree that such diversity, along with other forms of diversity, is important and plays a significant role in shaping the educational experience of all members of the… Read more
FIRE Letter to Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman, April 19, 2005
April 19, 2005
April 19, 2005 President Shirley M. Tilghman Office of the President 1 Nassau Hall Princeton University Princeton, New Jersey 08544 URGENT Sent by U.S. Mail and Facsimile (609-258-1615) Dear President Tilghman: As you can see from our Directors (including FIRE co-founders and Princeton University alumni Alan Charles Kors and Harvey Silverglate) and Board of… Read more
The Un-Freedom of Association
April 13, 2005
A reader just wrote in to inform us of a recent student government proposal at Princeton University to add a “nondiscrimination” statement to its constitution that may infringe on students’ rights to freedom of association. The Daily Princetonian reports: The amendment as it stands would add a non-discrimination clause to the [University Student Government] constitution… Read more