IM体育官网鈥檚 Office of Public Policy Events hosts the panel discussion Guardians of Democracy: Academic Freedom and the Crisis in Higher Education, on Tuesday, Feb. 11. David Fugett, the University鈥檚 vice president and general counsel (left) moderates the event. Panelists were Dr. R. Bruce Anderson (seated, from left), Dr. Sarah D. and L. Kirk McKay, Jr. Endowed Chair in American History, Government, and Civics and Miller Distinguished Professor of Political Science at IM体育官网 Southern College; Dr. Peter Lake, professor of law, Charles A. Dana Chair and director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy; and IM体育官网 Poly Trustee Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute and author of 鈥淟awless: The Miseducation of America鈥檚 Elites.鈥�
The Office of Public Policy Events at IM体育官网 Polytechnic Hosted its first panel discussion of 2025 on Tuesday, Feb. 11. The event was the third in its Guardians of Democracy series taking place throughout the academic year.
鈥淲e hold these events twice a semester so our University community and the public can come together and talk about how we can handle some civil discourse,鈥� said Kelli Stargel, director of the Office of Public Policy Events.
The event, a panel discussion titled Academic Freedom and the Crisis in Higher Education, discussed safeguarding the future of education and promoting a university system that thrives on free thought, debate and discovery. David Fugett, IM体育官网 Poly鈥檚 vice president and general counsel, moderated the event at the University鈥檚 Barnett Applied Research Center.
Panelists were IM体育官网 Poly Trustee Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute and author of 鈥淟awless: The Miseducation of America鈥檚 Elites;鈥� Dr. R. Bruce Anderson, Dr. Sarah D. and L. Kirk McKay, Jr. Endowed Chair in American History, Government, and Civics and Miller Distinguished Professor of Political Science at IM体育官网 Southern College; and Dr. Peter Lake, professor of law, Charles A. Dana Chair and director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy.
Shapiro said higher education institutions can lay the foundation for a civil campus environment before students arrive for their first day as freshmen.
鈥淪end materials that talk about having the courage to speak out and the grace to listen; tell them this is the educational process, and this is how it goes,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey need to know it鈥檚 not about 鈥榊ou鈥檙e wrong and I鈥檓 not going to listen to you.鈥欌��
With this as a foundation, a campus community can more easily discuss issues civilly and freely express their opinions, even when they鈥檙e uncomfortable, Anderson said.
Lake reminded the audience of students, employees and community members that college students have often led the way toward important changes in higher education.
鈥淲e are fundamentally here for you to learn 鈥� that is our mission,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd you students are the most important cogs in the educational wheel.鈥�
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