ASU FIRE Numbers Disastrous
FIRE, which stands for the foundation for individual rights and expression, has put out its 2025 free speech rankings. If you remember from a previous post, ASU had to set up a FIRE office on campus to keep an eye on our honors college. What ASU’s climb to 14 does is testify to the excellence of FIRE, not to anything on ASU’s part especially given the numbers we will look at now.
At 14, ASU is now ahead of NAU and U of A. All three are in the top 30. But those aren’t the numbers that matter. Let’s dig into ASU’s actual scores on things like liberal to conservative ratio and comfort among students to speak up. Those numbers are terrible.
Conservatives are still outnumbered essentially three to one. There is still a liberal bias among professors. Students are still uncomfortable speaking up. Here are some of the numbers that stood out to me.
Their numbers are terrible for tolerance of difference and comfortableness of speaking up. Since it is the conservatives who outnumbered, the comfort to speak up means conservatives do not feel comfortable speaking up in this setting. ASU hasn’t done anything to improve that number. In fact given the very overt violations of ASU’s rules against using ASU’s resources to promote a political candidate by professors, ASU has done everything to encourage radical liberal bias. Such professors know there will be no consequences.
However, in my case, the one outspoken conservative guy, just this week a college dean in Tempe and the director of my school told me I can’t use the phrase “biblical worldview” in my Introduction to Christianity class. Censorship.
Two more numbers that are terrible are openness and disruptive conduct. Again, given that it is the liberals who outnumbered the conservatives. The lack of openness means that conservatives and Christians do not feel they can be open, and that liberal professors are not open to alternative ideas. I’ve already shared a story with you about a student of mine who told me in his environmental ethics class the professor said he can’t speak in class because he doubted the Al Gore narrative.
And then here is the number that should make us all pay attention. Administrative support is abysmal. ASU’s administration is known for supporting the radical left and not applying its own rules about violations in the classroom or misuse of ASU resources. On the other hand, you’ve got the one outspoken conservative guy speaking up and being censored in my classroom.
How long will the people of Arizona tolerate this? Such administrators and radical professors are perfectly comfortable violating ASU rules and state laws because they believe there will be no consequences and they’ll get away with it. So far they are right
The only way for this to change is for the public of Arizona and for parents and for students to say this is unacceptable. The way to do that is by using your emails and your phones to contact administrators. Email administrators and let them know you won’t tolerate this anymore. I always encourage you to be respectful but also clear.
Parents and students you can vote with your feet. There are other universities in Arizona that you can attend. But you can also avoid the professors who are the most flagrant violators. The radical left likes to talk about change. We know their kind of change is to increase everyone’s misery. If we want change, then increase freedom of speech for everyone, including conservative Christians.
ASU administration needs to be held accountable. All they have to do is apply their rules they have on the books and make sure state law is not violated. That’s not a very high standard. I think they can do it.
