With reporting by Aiyana Cleveland, Blessing Fru, Aiden Lewald, Isaac Roy and Cathryn Salis

After sparking an international debate about the value of academic freedom in higher education, Hamline University hosted a moderated panel, a keynote speaker and round table discussion at the Academic Freedom and Cultural Perspectives symposium today in Anderson Center. The symposium ran from 9:30 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. and was open to the public.
Vice President of Inclusive Excellence Dr. David Everett welcomed the audience to the space, introduced the topic of the day’s conversation and outlined the schedule of events.
President Miller was brought on to give a welcome address and introduction to the keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson. Dyson is the recipient of NAACP image award for outstanding literary work, a professor at Vanderbilt university, a reverend and friend of Miller. He spoke on what voices are historically uplifted in academia and what voices are silenced, and how that shifts the conversation of “free speech” to one of justice and equity in our classrooms.
“What values do we prioritize as an academic community that may be an even more important or serious virtue than academic freedom?…Being humane and compassionate,” Dyson said.
The large crowd, which filled almost every round table in the Anderson forum, was vocally engaged with Dyson throughout his presentation, expressing their agreements with his statements and laughing out loud. The end of his presentation prompted an immediate standing ovation.
The first break of the day split the keynote conversation and the panel discussion. The lunch break provided a transition into a roundtable discussion amongst audience members. There was a set of four discussion questions on a card on every table that prompted attendees to reflect on the themes and ideas presented and their own perspectives shifts as they experienced them.
The panel of experts consisted of Tim Wise, an anti-racism author and activist; Hamline’s own distinguished professor of political science Dr. David Shultz; Associate Dean and professor of law at Rutgers Law School Stacy Hawkins; professor and author Dr. Robin DiAngelo and was moderated by Hamline University Board of Trustees member Denise Holloman.
Panelist Stacy Hawkins—a professor and constitutional law expert—reminded the room that freedoms do not exist in a vacuum.
“It’s inherent in the concept itself, that we don’t get to wield academic freedom without acknowledging and taking seriously our academic responsibility,” Hawkins said. “Your right to speak can’t come at the expense of other people’s right to safety, right to liberty, right to freedom, right to dignity”
A sentiment echoed throughout the day was the importance of a student centric approach to teaching, one that empathizes with students in distress rather than dismissing them. How does one’s freedom in the classroom limit another’s?
“Professors want academic freedom, I want academic freedom…but not at the cost of my own educational experience,” Hamline University Student Congress (HUSC) External President Travis Matthews said.
As she closed out the day, President Miller had a message for students.
“Bring your own chair to the table, because you’re not gonna be a part of the conversation if you don’t push your way in,” Miller said.
Director of Communications Jeff Papas said that the symposium was made possible via an anonymous donation. He mentioned that this conversation was a long time coming, and was “something that [Hamline] did promise.”
On Sept. 19, Hamline is co-hosting day two of three in another discussion, this time centering free speech. This three day symposium is called “Free Speech at the Crossroads: A Minnesota Dialogue” and is an initiative headed by the Free Speech Project at Georgetown University. The event will be held in Anderson Center and will be livestreamed, starting at 9:00 a.m. with discussions throughout the day until 5:30 p.m.