Chicago State Abandons Effort to Muzzle Faculty

Well, that was fast.

Chicago State University announced Friday that it has withdrawn a policy that would have required all faculty communications with media to be pre-approved by the university's public relations administrators. The withdrawal came just hours after the policy's restrictions made local news; Friday's Chicago Tribune featured a story on the policy, including criticism from FIRE's Robert Shibley and Cary Nelson of the American Association of University Professors.

Chicago State's embarrassing flirtation with top-down faculty censorship (and its sudden change in direction) proves once again that universities are often loath to defend in public that which they practice in private. FIRE is pleased that Chicago State has seen the light. Better late than never.