Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Virginia Colleges Fare Pretty Well in 2024 FIRE Rankings

—

by

James A. Bacon
in

In case you’re wondering how all Virginia institutions scored in the 2024 FIRE free speech rankings, here is a summary of the universities included in the survey. For perspective, I’ve included the top and bottom scorers. Liberty University is listed separately, as it is one of six that prioritize other values over free speech. Remember, the rankings reflect an assessment of formal written policies, not actual practice or campus climate. — JAB

2024 FIRE Free Speech Ranking
Rank Institution Score Speech Climate
#1 Michigan Technological University 78.01 Good
#6 University of Virginia 68.00 Above Average
#8 George Mason University 67.67 Above Average
#20 Washington & Lee University 62.99 Above Average
#26 James Madison University 58.83 Slightly Above Average
#59 College of William and Mary 53.69 Average
#160 Virginia Tech 42.17 Slightly Below Average
#184 Virginia Commonwealth University 39.23 Below Average
#248 Harvard University 0 Abysmal
Liberty University 35.62 Warning, No Rank

Share this article

ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)

ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)

Comments

10 responses to “Virginia Colleges Fare Pretty Well in 2024 FIRE Rankings”

  1. James Kiser Avatar
    James Kiser

    I t doesn’t matter what policies are in place. What matters is there actually a ability to speak your mind on campus or in the classroom. I would say no.

    1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      I would say yes.

  2. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    An assessment of formal written policies is not worth very much without knowing whether the policies are being consistently applied/enforced.

    As for free speech “policies” in general, the best way to assure the right to free speech is protected is to refrain from infringing on the right to free speech.

    1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      Where are Virginia university administrations infringing on the right to free speech?

      1. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        I did not say they are.

        1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
          Eric the half a troll

          So… just a random irrelevant statement then… ‘kay…

          1. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Stating an opinion that speech codes/policies in general should not be needed is not irrelevant to the subject at hand.

  3. Cathy Robb Avatar
    Cathy Robb

    That’s a low bar. 68% on a typical grading scale is a D+. UVA has a long way to go when it comes to preserving free speech. All of the universities on this list should be ashamed of themselves if they think these are good scores. Welcome to Marxism.

    1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      On this scale 50 is a “C” – as in “average”.

  4. StarboardLift Avatar
    StarboardLift

    Here’s is how a few Virginia colleges placed in WSJ Best Value rankings:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c6c54c13657950039af8ecff30a985eb87257383d7c18b3d46c493e429aee73e.png

Leave a Reply

Read More