As the nation’s first public university, UNC is one of North Carolina’s oldest public forums; a place where the free exchange of ideas makes discovery and democracy possible. Lux libertas.

Alumni can be proud that UNC-Chapel Hill has a “green light” from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for its speech policies, meaning that none of its written policies threaten campus speech.

And in 2018, the UNC Faculty Council adopted a version of the Chicago Principles. In that statement, faculty members affirmed, “The ability to speak freely, debate vigorously, and engage deeply with differing viewpoints is the bedrock of our aspirations at Carolina.”

But, in practice, free speech, viewpoint diversity, and academic freedom are in peril.

A recent survey by three UNC scholars found that Carolina students regularly self-censor. The report, Free Expression and Constructive Dialogue at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, shows that “the current campus climate does not consistently promote free expression and constructive dialogue across the political spectrum.”

Join us to support a culture of free speech, viewpoint diversity, and academic freedom at UNC-Chapel Hill.