Freedom of speech memo, President of the university of Alaska, March 2001

TO: E. Lee Gorsuch, Chancellor, University of Alaska Anchorage

      Marshall Lind, Chancellor, University of Alaska Fairbanks

      John Pugh, Chancellor, University of Alaska Southeast

A number of recent events has convinced me that I take the unusual step to state clearly and unambiguously what all of us would take as a given – The University of Alaska acknowledges and espouses the right to freedom of speech. Attempts to assuage anger or to demonstrate concern by qualifying our support for free speech serve to cloud what must be a clear message. Noting that, for example, “The University supports the right of free speech, but we intend to check into this matter,” or “The University supports the right of free speech, but I have asked Dean X or Provost Y to investigate the circumstances,” is unacceptable.

Source: www.cs.uaf.edu