Exeter University in 'cancel-culture' row

Report that students feel at risk from guest speakers

A national newspaper claims Exeter University is "embroiled in a Zoom no-platforming row" after the student union, known as the Guild, told clubs and societies not to host outside speakers because they post a "significant risk."

An exclusive report in the Daily Telegraph on Friday says "students were told they needed to write to all speakers to uninvite them."

It has arisen after a pressure group called the Free Speech Union, which has close links to the Daily Telegraph, sent a letter to the university's vice-chancellor demanding an explanation. The group believe it is because speakers who are part of the Free Speech Union were due to speak on the motion: ‘This house regrets the rise of the snowflake generation.’

Snowflake is the term for young people prone to taking offence at lines of argument they find unacceptable. 

The students' Guild is said to be worried about the university's "digital event protocols and external speaker policy."

But the university says some of the Telegraph's report is inaccurate. And it continues to invite speakers. On Thursday local businesses were asked to provide online sessions to help students' career prospects.

A University of Exeter spokesperson said: “The University of Exeter has a clear track record of supporting freedom of speech within the law. We agree with the Students’ Guild that they needed to review their process for online events and it does not change our approach to supporting freedom of expression within the law.
 
“We are fully in agreement with the Office for Students that students should be exposed to new and challenging ideas and that this is a key part of providing a high quality educational experience. The current review of on- line event risk assessment is designed to ensure this continues to happen. No event has been cancelled, just postponed. The pause will be brief and is not driven by any desire to cancel speakers or suppress freedom of expression, but rather to ensure that events with external speakers are able to go ahead in a legal and safe manner.”

The government is planning legislation to protect free speech at universities, which have traditionally been places at which challenging ideas can be debated. They're going to appoint a 'free speech champion.'

The Telegraph says: "Exeter students were told that "existing digital event protocols are inadequate and expose our student leaders to significant risk", and as such all societies are required to "postpone and rearrange any events with external speakers."

The letter to the university from the Free Speech Union is here: https://freespeechunion.org/blog/