Over the past few decades public universities have been writing speech, harassment, and conduct codes that some believe have infringed upon students' rights of free expression. One organization called the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has been fighting legal battles on behalf of students and professors who have run up against these policies. They have had a surprising run of success as courts or public opinion have generally backed FIRE's arguments.
Your assignment: go to and explore FIRE's website here. On the right margin is a "Find your school" map. Find one of the colleges that you applied to and read FIRE's entry about that college.
In your comment report on the school you looked at and what you found out. Is FIRE on to something or are they exaggerating a minor issue? If someone has already done your school then pick another one.
--Cicerone
UPDATE: In case you might think that FIRE is merely a right-wing special interest group trying to stir up trouble, according to this article the current president of FIRE, Greg Lukianoff, is a "a self-described 'pro-choice liberal'."
