Freedom of expression issues at Academy of Art University
 

Neil Gaiman, who is one of my favorite writers, posted an interesting entry and link to an article in his blog yesterday that I wanted to share. It raises, for me at least, several questions about freedom of expression.

It's true that this is a private university and can do what it wants, as Gaiman points out, but I wonder how any institution can call itself a university if it doesn't encourage all kinds of thinking. I remember back on the first day of my freshman year, the university president, addressing my freshman class, said, "Your primary job here is to learn." If free thought and expression wasn't encouraged, I would not have been able to learn. I realize that individual universities have a right to structure their learning, of course, but this all seems a little extreme. Also, what does all this mean for art? And what exactly is "offensive?" I'm certainly offended by a lot of things in life, but I don't go out and try to stop people from expressing themselves because I don't like what they have to say.

Many things to think on.

Surprised I'm just now seeing this.