Reunion Panel Discusses Free Speech at Cornell
On Friday, June 5, 2026, alumni convened to hear a panel discuss the state of free speech at Cornell. On the panel were Prof. Richard Bensel, Government; Prof. Randy O. Wayne, Plant Sciences; Joanne Florino, Philanthropy Roundtable; and Robert C Platt ‘73, JD ‘76, as moderator.
The panel was co-sponsored by the Heterodox Academy, Cornellians United for Free Speech, the Cornell Republicans, the Cornell Review and the Cornell Political Union. The audio was posted on YouTube.
Joanne Florino was asked what the recent trends in teaching are that encourage students to discuss topics on which they disagree. She said that in the 1970s, as a graduate student, she taught a course in American Conservative Thought. She pointed out that many of these courses are starting to address concerns voiced by conservative alumni about the imbalance in the current course offerings.
The year 2020 was pivotal because of both COVID and political developments. This set off demands for reform. Public universities took the lead in producing more political diversity among faculty, particularly in Florida and North Carolina. New centers were created that were closed off from the main faculty. More recently, the approach has been to teach multiple viewpoints. Dartmouth has received a $25 million donation for this. Cornell Arts and Sciences teaches a first-year course on “Disagreement.”
The goal is to have honest conversations between college presidents and big donors about how to encourage difficult conversations on campus. A member of the audience claimed that students always took time at college to break away from their parents’ beliefs. Florino questioned whether faculty actually attempted to dictate their personal beliefs to their students.
Platt asked about civics education for college students. Florino claimed that it is too late to teach civics to 18- and 19-year-olds, and that civics should be emphasized in K-12. In recent decades, public schools have used civics to instill more activism into students. Florino emphasizes the use of original sources in teaching civics, such as the Federalist Papers.
Platt asked about the feedback system between freedom of thought and the conduct system. Prof. Bensel discussed his work in the University Assembly and the Faculty Senate to reform the system. While there are formal documents protecting freedom of expression on campus, the question is whether campus police enforce those rules so strictly that Cornell can throw the book at protestors. Prof. Bensel discussed the case of Dina Ginsburg, an ILR graduate student who briefly protested an Israeli official. Her hearing occurred 333-days later. She was then acquitted by a hearing panel consisting of students, faculty, and staff.
Another graduate student was suspended for a year, lost his grant funding, and had to leave permanently. The University Assembly Campus Codes Committee and the Faculty Senate are trying to hold Day Hall accountable for the impact of the handling of conduct cases on campus free speech.
Platt asked Prof. Wayne whether Cornell is true to its truth-seeking goal. Prof. Wayne claims most people come to Cornell today to get credentialed. Students have a huge emptiness within themselves. The chances for finding meaning are rare. Prof. Wayne warns his students against assuming what he teaches is true. Students are growing up memorizing PowerPoints rather than learning from lab observations. Prof. Bensel challenges postmodernism, which claims there is no objective truth. Cornell is dominated by post-modernist thought, so the Heterodox Academy tries to bring in outside speakers with different viewpoints. Prof Wayne says, “Postmodernism has resulted in a crisis of meaning, a crisis of faith, and a crisis of knowledge.”
Platt asked how to break through the tendency of faculty to hire new faculty who are similar to them. Prof. Wayne noted the Heterodox Academy supports humility that would make faculty open to hiring people different than themselves. Florino noted that Harvard has a program to fund new faculty from diverse viewpoints. Florino noted the resurgence of faith on campus with Chesterton House, Hillel, and the COLLIS Institute to promote faith-based community.
Platt reported on developments from the past year. He noted the December 2025 undergraduate referendum, which voted 93% in favor of a campus-wide code of conduct and procedures. Title VI violations were merged with the Title IX Office for a new Office of Civil Rights. There is a move to look at other conduct regulations, including Greek Life and Athletics.
During the question-and-answer session, Prof. Bensel discussed his course on American Conservative Political Thought and the Heterodox Academy.
