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Chicago Principles

Chicago Principles at Indiana University

Indiana University is committed to the free exchange of ideas. By adopting the Chicago Principles, IU affirms its enduring commitment to free expression, academic freedom, and institutional neutrality across its nine campuses.

What are the Chicago Principles?

The Chicago Principles are a widely recognized set of values originally developed by the University of Chicago in 2015. They set a standard for protecting free speech and academic freedom within higher education.

What they do

  • Affirm our core values: They offer an enduring framework grounded in Indiana University’s core values and aligned with its academic mission.
  • Support discovery: They reaffirm the conditions that allow teaching, research, and discovery to flourish.
  • Foster open inquiry: They strengthen an environment in which students learn through open inquiry and develop as thoughtful, engaged members of society.

What they don’t do

  • Permit unrestricted conduct: They do not protect expression that violates the law, is defamatory, or constitutes a genuine threat or harassment.
  • Allow disruption: The university may still reasonably regulate the time, place, and manner of expression to ensure it does not disrupt the ordinary activities of the university.
  • Act as a final step: This adoption opens a university-wide dialogue on the meaning and values of free speech and academic freedom.

Read the foundational document of Chicago Principles

Read about IU’s adoption of Chicago Principles

IU’s adoption and commitment

On February 20, 2026, the Indiana University Board of Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the principles as a foundational expression of its academic mission.

The board’s vote followed a review initiated in November 2025 by IU President Pamela Whitten, who charged the University Faculty Council with examining the principles in the context of IU’s long-standing commitments to academic freedom and free expression.

Key participants in the process:

  • University Faculty Council task force: Faculty and student representatives from multiple campuses and disciplines were convened.
  • All University Student Association: Endorsed the adoption of the Principles.

With this action, IU joins more than 100 U.S. colleges and universities, including others in the Big Ten Conference, that have adopted the principles to support open discourse and the free exploration of ideas.

Next steps for implementation:

The University Faculty Council and the Academic Leadership Council have established a joint implementation task force to design and coordinate efforts to educate the university community about the Chicago Principles.