Old Gold&Black “Covers the campus like the magnolias”
WA K E F O R E S T ’ S S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 1 6
VOL 111 , NO. 10
FEBRUARY 20, 2025
University releases draft statement outlining standards for civil liberties on campus On Feb. 11., the university released a draft statement detailing freedom of expression and academic freedom ELLA KLEIN Editor-in-chief
After a year taut with tension after oncampus protests, Wake Forest University released a draft statement of freedom of expression and academic freedom. The draft statement was posted on Feb. 11. According to the university, the statement has been in the drafting process since July. Provost Michelle Gillespie appointed a team of eight faculty and staff members within the university to draft the statement, which is currently going through a lengthy review process. The draft statement comes after new regulations for freedom of speech and expression were posted by the university in August, following the pro-Palestine protest that evolved into an encampment last spring. In the policy, the university made limitations on when and where demonstrations, chalking and posting may occur on campus. Matthew Clifford, vice president of campus life and dean of students, was one of the eight faculty and staff members on the drafting team. In an email to the Old Gold & Black, Clifford talked about the catalyst for the draft. “Free expression has been a big deal at Wake Forest and a strong part of the University culture, but it wasn’t written down in a single, shared document,” Clifford said. “We’ve seen recently that it would be beneficial to have shared language so that we can have difficult conversations about the nature of our community and so that when any one of us wants to express ourselves, we can feel comfortable about the protections available and the responsibilities that come along with them.” Members of the Wake Forest community can submit feedback on the draft statement via a form on the university website.
Rights movement, [and] allowed unpopular speakers in the 1970s.” The university also states a commitment to upholding freedom of expression and academic freedom. However, there are some limits. According to the draft statement, “Wake Forest may restrict expression that constitutes a direct threat, unlawful harassment, or which otherwise violates the law. The Univer- sity may also reasonably regulate the time, place, and manner of expression to ensure the regular and continued operations of the University and the ability of others to express themselves consistent with this statement.” The university also outlined its ‘institutional voice’ and upholds that its key role is to “generate and disseminate k nowledge in our society,” “ T h e University and its leaders will not, however, establish a single U n i v e rsity point of view about public matters that do not
directly affect the University’s core function,” the draft statement said. The section upholds that community members speak on behalf of themselves, not the university. The document also outlines a commitment to an inclusive collegiate community. In tandem, the university posted a preamble, which outlines the context and university history behind the draft statement. Included are six ‘notes’ sections, which give reasoning behind the main points outlined in the draft statement. Timeline of the drafting process
Overview of the statement
From September to October, the drafting team met with several campus leadership groups, including the Provost’s Student Leadership Advisory Group, Staff Advisory Council, Faculty Senate Executive Committee, Student Government and the Deans Council. These meetings included early feedback and a review of the policy. According to the university, from February to March, the drafting process will go through ‘campus conversations’. “[The university] will host discussions about the draft statement to share ideas and then report feedback,” the university said. “Some of these conversations will take place in existing groups, while others will bring together Wake Forest community members from an array of backgrounds in the spirit of the valuable civil discourse that the free expression statement is meant to encourage and protect.” On Founders Day, Feb. 20., Dean of the Law School Andrew Klein will speak about freedom of expression and academic freedom. “We need a starting place for community conversation about what free expression and academic freedom mean at Wake Forest,” the university said.
The draft emphasizes Wake Forest’s history of inciting respectful discourse and encouraging debate, saying the university “protected protesting students during the Civil
Editor's note: At the time of publication, Matthew Clifford spoke on behalf of the eight faculty and staff members on the drafting committee. This is a developing story.
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What's Inside
FEATURES Legacy of Reynolda women Page Nine
ENVIRONMENT Community protests pipeline Page Ten
OPINION No, the media is not lying to you Page Thirteen
Recap: Campus honors Black History JILL YODER Staff Writer Saturday, Feb. 1 marked the start of Black History Month around the world. As global communities celebrate throughout the month, Wake Forest embarks on four weeks of community events, reflection and celebration honoring the Black experience. Assistant Director of the Wake Forest Intercultural Center Jalen Shell shared that celebrating Black History Month on campus is vital to a student experience that values diversity and inclusion. “In the Intercultural Center we value the lived experiences that make up the fiber of campus including our faculty, staff and students,” Shell said. “Dating back to the origins of the Reynolda Campus, [Wake Forest] connects back to black people. Wake Forest has made it a point to honor those that have built what we see around us today through the memorialization efforts.” Black History Month was first celebrated as Negro History Week in 1926, and gained an overwhelming response. 50 years later, the week was transformed into Black History Month in 1976. February is now an annual celebration of the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans in American society, as well as in other countries worldwide. Wake Forest celebrates Black History Month through an array of student-organized events. Many organizations come together to host these events, including the Intercultural Center, the Black Student Alliance (BSA) and the African and Caribbean Student Association (AfriCasa). While some events are a collaborative effort between organizations and others are unique to one group, a joint committee comes together in December to begin planning the month of student-facing activities. Chase Clark, president of the BSA, shared that the goal when planning events is to find ideas that engage and excite the student body. “The sky was the limit as far as creativity goes,” Clark said. “We thought about what kind of things our members usually come to and enjoy, as well as the message or story that we would like to tell through our events. It's kind of been down to the wire ever since then with getting [events] planned, [spaces] reserved and funding for everything.”
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