Heterodox UCLA draws together members of the university community from diverse viewpoints and disciplines who believe that the university must renew its commitment to its fundamental mission: to produce, preserve, and transmit knowledge.

We believe in open inquiry, free expression, reasoned debate, constructive disagreement, and viewpoint diversity. We see these as central to the core mission of the university, and we oppose efforts to limit inquiry, expression, or debate on political grounds.

We believe in institutional neutrality. This means that the university should not take positions on public issues that do not directly bear on its core mission. As the Kalven report memorably argued, the posture of neutrality arises “not from a lack of courage nor out of indifference and insensitivity. It arises out of respect for free inquiry and the obligation to cherish a diversity of viewpoints. And this neutrality as an institution has its complement in the fullest freedom for its faculty and students as individuals to participate in political action and social protest. It finds its complement, too, in the obligation of the university to provide a forum for the most searching and candid discussion of public issues.”

The freedom to protest does not extend to silencing or blocking others’ expression. It does not extend to defamation, threats, or harassment. The university may reasonably regulate the time, place, and manner of expression to ensure that it does not disrupt the ordinary activities of the university. But whenever it does restrict speech, the university must be even-handed. Administrators may not limit some—but allow other-expressive acts on the basis of their substantive content. They must allow community members to express unpopular opinions, at all times encouraging frank but civil and constructive exchanges of views.

By re-dedicating itself to its core mission, we believe, the university can best protect its fundamental interests at a moment of intensifying challenges and threats.

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All UCLA faculty members (including emeriti, adjunct, in-residence, and clinical faculty) who support our mission statement can join our list of signatories by providing your name and affiliation here