For a school that prides itself on its rankings, Northeastern has fallen far behind in a crucial category: free speech.
Earlier this month, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, released its 2026 College Free Speech Rankings. Out of 257 institutions, Northeastern was ranked the fifth-worst university in the nation for free expression. While this would be alarming at any point, it is doubly so at a time when the federal government is suppressing free speech across the country. Our university must prove its commitment to open expression.
Free speech is not a luxury; it is the foundational force that empowers students and our universities to pursue truth. Without it, the promise of higher education — of learning, teaching, expression and opportunity — is a hollow shell. So, when students, faculty, alumni and external parties condemn Northeastern’s substandard free speech protections, the university must listen and take action to reform policy.
Few students would oppose Northeastern’s written commitments to free speech as laid out in the student handbook, which reads, “As an institution of higher learning, Northeastern has a responsibility to foster a community that protects and supports free expression…” But these commitments on paper mean little if the actions of our administrators betray them in practice.
And while FIRE’s ranking methodology is somewhat questionable, so too is Northeastern’s commitment to free speech and expression based on the university’s actions. In recent semesters, demonstration policies have been quietly rewritten; faculty have criticized the university for not promoting an environment friendly to academic freedom; a speaker event was cancelled following Northeastern’s request for a list of attendees, and administrators have refused to comment when asked directly about campus free speech. Even the university’s frequently asked questions page, launched in January to address how the university is navigating the “federal landscape,” currently fails to mention how Northeastern is ensuring students are free to speak their minds.
When Mike Armini, Northeastern’s senior vice president for external affairs, was asked how the university balances responding to threats against free speech while ensuring the long-term success of our university, he responded by appealing to the idea of balance.
“I think balance is the key word. First of all, I think when it comes to academic freedom, what’s in the faculty handbook here is really strong, and we stand by that,” he said. “I know it’s come up in discussions. I think it is true that we have to pick our battles.”
It is understandable why Northeastern wants to keep itself out of the spotlight: Because in today’s political environment, standing up for what is right comes at great cost. But when the very values our university stands for, “Lux, Veritas, Virtus” or, “Light, Truth, Courage” are under attack, our administration cannot “balance” which of these is most important. It must fight for all of them.
If our university will not follow through on its own promise — responding with silence to some of the largest attacks on student speech in decades — students will rightly conclude that liability management matters more to our administrators than standing up for our community.
Student free speech shapes the college experience. It teaches us lessons no classroom can, allowing students the opportunity to exchange, challenge and defend their ideas. It brings us together in a society increasingly pulled apart. Northeastern’s prestige rests not only on research funding and co-op placements but on the intellectual vibrancy of its community. That vibrancy cannot survive if students fear repercussions for the words they speak.
Our ask is twofold: Northeastern should revise its speech and demonstration policies to reflect its commitments to free speech — and it should do so by involving students in this process.
As students united by a shared idea of what our university should be, the Educational Freedom Project is trying to live up to President Joseph E. Aoun’s own words: “Each and every one of us has a role to play in helping move Northeastern forward and in shaping a shared vision for the future.”
But this vision is not possible without free speech on campus.
The Educational Freedom Project is a group of students working to defend and fulfill the promise of higher education at a time when it is under existential threat. If you would like to get in contact, you can reach out at [email protected]
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