Fostering Civil Discourse and Institutional Accountability in Higher Education Featuring Larry Diamond and Jeffrey Koseff
In a recent America at a Crossroads discussion, Stanford professors Larry Diamond and Jeffrey Koseff shared their recommendations for addressing the rise of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias on campus. As they delved into the challenges of fostering civil discourse, upholding academic freedom, and strengthening institutional accountability, their insights underscored the need for universities to act decisively. This blog explores their proposed solutions for creating a more respectful and inclusive campus environment while ensuring that free speech and mutual respect coexist in higher education.
Academic Freedom and Classroom Incidents
One of the more complex issues that emerged during the investigation was the question of academic freedom. How can universities maintain an environment of free thought and speech while preventing professors from fostering hostility or bias in the classroom?
The Stanford report documented instances where faculty crossed the line from academic debate into promoting harmful ideologies. Diamond recounted one particularly troubling incident: “A teacher in a freshman class…diverted from the curriculum…to physically divide the class into colonizers and colonized.” This act, in the immediate aftermath of the October 7th Hamas attack, exemplified how even educational settings could become breeding grounds for binary, harmful thinking.
When asked whether such professors should face disciplinary action, Koseff explained that while faculty have the right to criticize Israel as part of their academic freedom, there must be limits. “When somebody crosses…a line and promotes the ideals of Hamas or praises them…that needs to be dealt with in a different way.”
The subcommittee’s recommendation was not to silence critical perspectives but to ensure that classrooms foster respectful, balanced discourse. Diamond and Koseff emphasized the need for counter-programming and courses that present alternative views on Israel, creating space for true academic diversity.
Reforming Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Programs
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are a staple of many university campuses, designed to promote understanding and protect vulnerable groups. However, at Stanford, the subcommittee found that these programs often fail to include Jewish and Israeli students. This exclusion has contributed to feelings of alienation and neglect among these students, particularly in the wake of increasing anti-Semitic incidents.
Koseff and Diamond offered a short-term recommendation to reform DEI programs, ensuring that Jewish and Israeli students are explicitly recognized and protected under the same guidelines as other minority groups. “We need to…revisit our approach to how we deal with what is an incredibly important issue,” Koseff remarked.
However, they went beyond short-term fixes and called for a deeper rethinking of the entire DEI framework. Rather than simply adding Jewish students to existing programs, Koseff and Diamond advocated for a broader overhaul, embracing what they called “confident pluralism.” This approach, proposed by political theorist Danielle Allen, focuses on promoting respect for all identities and protecting the fundamental dignity of every individual. Koseff says that they don’t…come out against the concept of DEI, but the way it’s being implemented is not working.
The challenge, according to the report, is to create a more inclusive environment that respects all identities without creating a hierarchy of suffering or marginalization. Diamond argued that the solution lies in fostering a culture of mutual respect rather than a competitive grievance model.
The Decline of Civil Discourse
One of the most disturbing trends that emerged from the investigation was the decline in civil discourse on college campuses. Diamond and Koseff observed that the rise of social media and a polarized political climate had severely undermined students’ ability to engage in reasoned debate. Emotional responses and binary thinking—dividing people into “oppressors” and “oppressed”—had become dominant on campuses, leaving little room for nuanced discussion.
Diamond pointed to a specific example at Stanford where a faculty member forced students to participate in an exercise that reinforced this binary thinking. “This…was one of the most shocking incidents of anti-Semitism…dividing students into colonizers and colonized,” Diamond explained. The exercise not only escalated tensions but also prevented any opportunity for meaningful dialogue about the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The subcommittee’s report called for universities to prioritize training students in the art of civil discourse—teaching them how to engage with opposing viewpoints respectfully and constructively. “Civil discourse should not be about just things that are easy to talk about,” Koseff remarked. “It should also be about things that are very difficult to talk about.”
This idea of fostering civil discourse is not just about reducing hostility on campus; it’s about teaching students how to think critically and engage meaningfully with complex issues. As Diamond put it, we need to develop a muscle for reasoning behind the positions we hold and a willingness to have our positions subjected to critical inquiry.
Recommendations and Solutions
To restore a culture of civil discourse and mutual respect, Diamond and Koseff laid out several key recommendations in their report. First and foremost, they called for greater leadership from university administrations. One of the most significant failures, according to the subcommittee, was the reluctance of university leaders to enforce campus policies when protests and encampments grew out of control.
Diamond did not mince words when addressing this issue. “It’s a lack of courage, a lack of backbone, and a lack of conviction,” he said. He criticized university leaders for failing to act quickly and decisively when anti-Semitic incidents or protests arose. “My advice to every university president…is within an hour of the tents going up…remove them.”
Koseff agreed, emphasizing that leadership is critical to maintaining a respectful campus environment. “If you have policies, and you’re convinced that they are the right policies, you enforce them,” he said. Waiting for the media or public opinion to validate those policies only weakens the university’s ability to create a safe and respectful environment for all students.
In addition to stronger leadership, the report called for new academic programs to counter anti-Israel bias, including the establishment of an Israel Studies program at Stanford. “This is why we’re building an Israel Studies program at Stanford,” Diamond explained. Such programs would provide students with the opportunity to engage with a broader range of perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, promoting more informed and nuanced discussions.
Recommendations and Solutions
As universities grapple with the rise of anti-Semitism and the challenges of free speech, civil discourse, and academic freedom, the need for strong leadership and institutional reform has never been clearer. Diamond and Koseff’s investigation at Stanford sheds light on the complexity of these issues and offers a roadmap for how universities can move forward.
Their recommendations—strengthening DEI programs, fostering civil discourse, and creating new academic programs—are essential first steps. But ultimately, the success of these initiatives will depend on the courage of university leaders to stand up for the values of mutual respect and intellectual freedom.
As Diamond succinctly put it, “We need a change in the culture to return to the principles of tolerance and pluralism…and the fundamental dignity and equality of all individuals.”
About America at a Crossroads
Since April 2020, America at a Crossroads has produced weekly virtual programs on topics related to the preservation of our democracy, voting rights, freedom of the press, and a wide array of civil rights, including abortion rights, free speech, and free press. America at a Crossroads is a project of Jews United for Democracy & Justice.