Medical College of Wisconsin Principles of Freedom of Expression

The Medical College of Wisconsin’s (MCW) Just Cause to improve health for all requires that we strive to enrich our understanding of the human condition. We acknowledge that truth-seeking is an unending, noble endeavor.

Broad freedom of expression advances and enriches the missions of MCW and the larger communities we support and is essential to our commitment to the pursuit, discovery, and transformation of knowledge.

Expression of multiple perspectives is essential for both individual and collective learning and growth and we, MCW, protect the rights of MCW faculty, staff and learners to self-expression. MCW commits to the free exchange of ideas and we value open dialogue, rigorous inquiry, and healthy and robust debate.

The ability to exchange, consider and challenge ideas is central to education in a free society.1 In our pursuit of knowledge, we are free to criticize, question and rigorously challenge the ideas and views expressed by others. However, we may not restrict the freedom of others, including invited guests, to express opinions that we oppose or even detest. We shall interact with others, including those with whom we disagree, in a manner that upholds human dignity.

In accordance with our institutional Code of Conduct, we accept personal responsibility for our individual choices as to expression, civility toward others, and maintaining professional decorum appropriate to the environment.

Valid inquiry and progress rests upon a foundation of skepticism, scientific rigor, and the open-minded pursuit of truth. A rich diversity of viewpoints and ideas and the freedom to openly debate them is critical for such a process. The institution is therefore obliged to guard against creation of a prevailing orthodoxy of beliefs; such a culture limits the pursuit of truth and knowledge.

Free expression and inclusive culture are essential parts of the same whole. MCW aspires to a truly diverse culture wherein everyone in our community, from all backgrounds and perspectives, has a voice and is empowered to participate in active dialogue.2

Our MCW system of values compels us to see, hear and seek to understand one another to gain perspective. Meaningful discourse, with the goal of inviting contributions and enhancing understanding, requires intentional efforts to engage differing perspectives. In any free society, some views expressed may be perceived as disagreeable, reprehensible, or unsupported by scientific rigor, and we may find it challenging, and sometimes painful, to actively encounter points of view and ideas with which we strongly disagree. As members of an academic community, we expect and are prepared to rigorously debate beliefs and ideas; such work is central to our foundational mission.

As a Health Sciences University committed to our mission of providing exceptional patient care, we are responsible to uphold freedom of expression while also ensuring a patient-centered care environment and maintaining university operations. MCW may establish time, place and manner restrictions on expression consistent with our Code of Conduct.

Any expression meant to vilify, humiliate or incite hatred against an individual, group, or class of persons³, or which is reasonably likely to have such effect, is prohibited. We do not tolerate unlawful expression, including (but not limited to) threats of violence, incitement to lawless action, discriminatory harassment or malicious defamation of an individual.

With great gratitude, the MCW Committee on Freedom of Expression acknowledges the following institutions and their published works as foundational to the creation of the MCW Principles on Freedom of Expression for use by the faculty, staff and learners of the Medical College of Wisconsin:

• Aspen Institute: Principles of the Aspen Institute, Adopted by the Board of Trustees on April 8, 2022 
• Princeton University: Princeton Principles for a Campus Culture of Free Inquiry, James Madison Program at Princeton University 
• Stanford University: Tessier-Lavigne, Marc and Drell, Persis, Notes from the Quad, Stanford University, November 7, 2017
• University of Chicago: Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression (2014)
• University of Colorado: University of Colorado, Laws of the Regents, Part E: Freedom of Expression
• University of Michigan: Standard Practice Guide Policies, Freedom of Speech and Artistic Expression
• University of Wisconsin: Madison: Values Statement: University’s Mission, Free Expression at UW- Madison

Footnote Citations

1. “Values Statement: University’s Mission,” Free Expression at UW-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison, May 8, 2024, https://free-expression.wisc.edu
2. Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Persis Drell, “Advancing free speech and inclusion,” Notes from the Quad, Stanford University, November 7, 2017, https://quadblog.stanford.edu/2017/11/07/advancing-free-speech-and-inclusion/
3. “What is hate speech, and is it protected by the First Amendment?,” Free Speech, Rights and Responsibilities, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, May 8, 2024, https://uwm.edu/free-speech-rights-responsibilities/faqs/what-is-hate-speech-and-is-it-protected-by-the-first-amendment/