Freedom of speech is under serious threat at Australian universities.
The Free Speech on Campus Audit 2016 is a systematic review of intellectual freedom on Australian campuses using a methodology adapted from American and British assessments of university free speech. Each Australian university has been assigned a red, amber, or green speech ranking, based upon their policies and past actions.
Thirty-three (79 per cent) of Australian universities have received a red ranking; eight (19 per cent) have received an amber ranking; and just one (2 per cent) have received a green ranking.
This audit is a first-of-its-kind review of the state of debate at Australian universities. It assess both formal university policies that restrict speech, and previous university administration and student actions that have suffocated the diversity of ideas on campus.
