Academic freedom–the core value of American colleges–is hardly well at San Jose City College because the college chancellor has enacted the beginnings of a speech code telling professors how to behave on campus.

This should be of alarm to students, faculty and staff alike because it goes against the main mission of any college activity–to search for truth and teach that truth to students. Professors have the liberty to search for truth in the academic ways they’ve been trained as scholars. However, the chancellor has other ideas about the role of academics on this college campus. A great university or college is one at which people gather to exchange ideas about knowledge.

At such colleges, faculty and students are free to speak their minds and even ask difficult questions. Such is not the case at SJCC, where the college chancellor has asked to have the civility speech code adopted by all. The civility police even want professors to include the code on course syllabi. Civility statements, like loyalty oaths against communism in the 1950’s, have no place at a college or university. This nonsense about a civility statement needs to stop right where it is now. The chancellor has made for all to wear wrist bracelets–they are embossed with the words–”Civility–Begins with me.”

Let us let the Chancellor keep that wrist band affirmation where it is–on her wrist– before it becomes like a metaphorical handcuff on free speech and free academic inquiry.

This guest column was written by Charles Heimler, San Jose City College English instructor.