Our Commitment to Academic Freedom and Free Expression
Free expression and academic freedom are strong historical and cultural commitments of the Wake Forest University community. They are values that are foundational to our mission as a community of learning, inquiry, and dialogue. In the fall of 2023, Wake Forest embarked on a year-long, inclusive process of campus engagement, reflection, and conversation to draft a written statement of this commitment.
In the spring of 2025, the University community adopted the Statement on Academic Freedom and Free Expression. This statement articulates the principles that guide how we teach, learn, research, and debate as members of a vibrant academic community.
This website serves as a resource for understanding and upholding those commitments. Here you will find the full statement, background on the process that shaped it, and tools to help faculty, staff, and students continue to foster open inquiry and civil discourse in classrooms, labs, and public spaces across our campus.
Together, we carry forward Wake Forest’s tradition of intellectual curiosity, mutual respect, and a shared dedication to the pursuit of truth.
Wake Forest University strives to be an inclusive community of inquiry – one that engages in dialogue across differences in service to humanity. Protecting and fostering freedom of expression is integral to our academic mission, and requires a campuswide commitment to civil discourse, engagement, and empathy.
Dr. Susan R. Wente, President
What is Free Expression at Wake Forest?
Wake Forest’s History of Free Expression
Academic Freedom and Its Limits
Wake Forest’s Tradition of Formal and Informal Student Debate
