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campusreview.com.au
The price
we pay
Universities advised to
prioritise freedom of speech
over potentially hurt feelings.
F
ormer High Court Chief Justice Robert
French has used an address at Charles
Darwin University to urge universities to
remain vigilant in defending the expression of
free speech on campus.
In delivering the annual Austin Asche
Oration for the university and the Australian
Academy of Law, French rejected what
he called the “extended concept of safety”
to restrict what can and can’t be discussed
in public.
As reported in The Australian, French said
universities should be prepared to accept a
“very high threshold” before trying to stop a
speech on campus due to concerns over
its content.
He added that the feelings of others should
not be the “threshold test”, and restrictions
should only be enacted if a breach of law
was likely.
“If the threshold is set too low in the
interests of the feelings of the university
community and applies an extended
concept of ‘safety’ in support of restrictions,
the reputation of universities in the wider
community which they serve might be at
risk,” French said.
“The better approach is to encourage and
maintain a robust culture of open speech
and discussion, even though it may involve
people hearing views that they find offensive
or hurtful.
“That is one of the prices we pay for a core
freedom in this liberal democracy. It is not
likely to be eroded.”
The purpose of university
Survey highlights philosophical debate about
the role of university in modern society.
H
ave you noticed that students aren’t that resilient? Eleven
thousand global employers have. In the QS Global Skills
Gap in the 21st Century report, they reported a lack of
resilience as the largest student skill gap, among many others.
The report, by QS and student recruitment agency the Institute
of Student Employers, found that employers thought students
were deficient in 12 of the 15 skills surveyed.
His speech included a warning that
universities’ actions most likely fall under
the umbrella of constitutional freedoms
associated with political communication.
“To the extent that universities, operating
under the authority of acts of parliament
which create them, make legal rules affecting
freedom of speech, those rules would have
to comply with the implied freedom,” he said.
“There is a question whether administrative
policies would be subject to the same
constraints. Given that university executives
act under the authority of the law setting up
the university and defining its powers, the
answer is probably yes.”
On the question of harm or what might be
regarded as harmful, he said it is a concept
that implies a value judgement that can be
challenged.
“What one person regards as harmful
another may legitimately view as bearing no
adverse consequence,” he said. ■
Campus Review is hosting a one-day
seminar, including expert presentations and
panel discussion, investigating the issues
surrounding free speech at universities. Go to
campusreview.com.au for more information
and to register your place.
Having also gleaned insights from 16,000 students, the report
authors noted that students and employers held different views on
which skills were most valuable. While students believed creativity
and data analysis were key, employers preferred problem-solving,
teamwork and communication skills.
The results also varied by business size, as well as location.
For example, large companies prized leadership over technical
skills, and North American employers were relatively satisfied
with their graduate employees – especially compared with Latin
American ones.
Dasha Karzunina, market insights manager at QS, said the
report verifies widely held beliefs about students’ skills gaps.
This implies that one purpose of university education is to
prepare students for employment. Undoubtedly many – if not
all universities – would affirm this. Yet some people argue that
preparing students for employment is the job of vocational
providers, not universities.
These, however, are lone voices. Students want graduate jobs,
so universities, swayed by market forces, attempt to ready students
for them. Examples include the growing emphasis universities
place on inculcating soft, transferable skills in students to suit
the rapidly shifting employment landscape, and the increasing
prominence of experiential learning and industry placements
across degrees.
To further prepare students for careers, universities could
introduce measures that enhance their resilience – their largest
skill ‘gap’. For instance, universities could consider improving
resilience as part of the student experience, even as an educational
outcome. ■
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