Revitalizing Freedom of Expression at Davidson (College)

James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | April 25, 2022 | Shannon Watkins

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Over the last several years, Davidson College’s inhospitality to freedom of thought has caught the attention of concerned alumni. Among other concerns, a group of alumni was deeply dismayed by the campus’s lack of support of, and sometimes even hostility towards, open inquiry and free expression.

In 2018, these alumni formally organized themselves into an independent alumni group named the Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse (DFTD). DFTD “seeks to ensure that a core value of Davidson is free inquiry, not indoctrination in any ideology or political viewpoint.” Since the group’s founding, the free speech climate on campus has slowly been improving.

For one, Davidson went from having a dismal “red light” free speech rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) in 2019 to an improved “yellow light” rating today.

Another positive development is the work of Davidson’s Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (DCI), which strives to give students, staff, faculty, and alumni the opportunity to engage in civil discourse on difficult topics.

[texas booster]

Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson, who was killed at the nearby Battle of Cowan's Ford.

Davidson's Statement of Purpose drives everything we do. We believe that a Davidson education fosters humane instincts and disciplined and creative minds. We believe students flourish in our distinctively supportive community, where peers and mentors act with integrity and practice academic rigor. We believe education should not be tethered to economic circumstance. We strive to create an environment where each student lives this experience.

Interesting fluff in the Statement of Purpose.

Wonder if prayer time is included for all incoming freshmen? After all, that is the thing most lacking in young collegians.