Engage with views you disagree with, Durham’s rebel students told
‘Robust but tolerant sharing of views is an essential part of the whole experience of higher education’
STUDENTS must engage with views even if they do not agree with them, the university watchdog chief has said.
His remarks come amid a growing free speech row at Durham University, which began with a student walk-out at a dinner in protest at the columnist Rod Liddle’s appearance as guest speaker.
In his first intervention, Lord Wharton, chairman of the Office for Students (OfS), told The Sunday Telegraph that a “robust but tolerant” exchange of views is an “essential” part of university life. Last week the Durham college principal who invited Liddle to speak was barred from public roles with the university accused of “hanging him out to dry”.
Prof Tim Luckhurst, principal of South College, came under fire for calling students “pathetic” after they walked out. He reportedly shouted “at South College, we value freedom of speech” as several students left the dining hall in protest at the speaker.
Prof Luckhurst is now “stepping back” from some duties while the university investigates what took place at the formal dinner. During his speech, Liddle said he was disappointed to not see any sex workers that night, in reference to recent controversy over safety training provided by Durham University to student sex workers.
He went on to say that the “science or pure facts” are that “a person with an X and a Y chromosome, that has a long, dangling penis, is scientifically a man, and that is pretty much, scientifically, the end of the story”.
After the event, Prof Luckhurst apologised for describing the students’ walk-out as “pathetic”. But his apology was not enough to quell the anger of students, and hundreds gathered at South College this week to protest against Prof Luckhurst, wielding placards that included the slogans “proud to be pathetic” and “Luckhurst out”.
The university’s student union has urged him to resign, calling his position “untenable” and some undergraduates say they will back a rent strike if “adequate action” has not been taken.
Speaking for the first time about the events in Durham, Lord Wharton said that the university watchdog has always promoted “the widest possible definition of free speech within the law”.
He went on to say: “As a point of principle it is important for students to engage with views and theories with which they may not agree.
“A robust but tolerant sharing of views is an essential element of the whole experience of higher education.”
Lord Wharton said students also have free speech rights including the right to protest peacefully.
Last night the row escalated as the Free Speech Union, which is representing Prof Luckhurst, wrote to Durham’s vice-chancellor to remind him of his legal duty to uphold free speech.
Toby Young, general secretary of the FSU, said: “Durham says it believes in upholding academic free speech, but if so why has it placed Prof Luckhurst under investigation for describing the decision of students to walk out of the speech as ‘pathetic’?
“In expressing that perfectly lawful view, Prof Luckhurst was exercising his right to free speech and penalising him for doing so could well be a breach of the law that requires universities to uphold free speech on campus.”
A Durham University spokesman said that it upholds “freedom of expression within the law” adding: “We have a strong and clear policy statement and code of practice on freedom of expression.”