President's Response: Free Speech Universities Ranking
Friday 24-02-2017 - 13:45
Durham has been rated amongst 63% of UK Universities with a ‘red’ rating from Spiked! online magazine’s Free Speech Universities ranking 2017. My response to Durham SU’s ranking moving from amber to red ranking is fairly straightforward - I don’t believe it paints an accurate or a meaningful picture of our students’ union. Durham SU values the varied opinions, views and ideas of our members and we are always seeking ways to bring those forward and support students to speak out and question us, the University and our communities. To do this, and to enable students to feel empowered to act and achieve change, we have to create a space were they feel they will be treated with respect, even while others disagree or challenge their opinions or actions. To this end, I am proud to be part of an organisation that has a zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment, homophobia and transphobia and has the policies that support that. However the Spiked campaign pushes for free speech above all else, rating us down for having such things as our zero tolerance to sexual violence and respect at work and study policy, and in this our values fundamentally differ to that of the campaign.
