ABSTRACT
Lasting change in how universities handle freedom of speech cannot occur through top-down government interventions, as is currently happening in the United Kingdom. It can only occur when universities themselves take the lead. This chapter shows how universities can do this. It calls for them to respond strongly to the problematic impact of the regulatory structures of the Prevent Duty and the Charity Commission on freedom of speech on campus. In particular, it advises that universities must take seriously the concerns of many Muslim students and staff about Prevent, and that they should redress the democratic deficit whereby students have no say over the structures affecting them. It calls for universities to take proactive steps to change the public narratives about them and to build stronger links between students and Parliament. Most importantly, it argues that universities should build into their curricula explicit teaching about handling divisive debate, through the device of the Community of Inquiry (first developed by C.S. Peirce). This is essential for helping students learn how to express their views confidently and responsibly, and for developing a culture of reciprocity and deliberative democracy on campus.
