Undergraduate students should expect emailed Gallup survey on free speech; participation encouraged

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Currently enrolled undergraduates at all public colleges and universities in the state of Indiana, including Purdue University, will soon receive an emailed survey seeking input on campus climates for free speech. The messages, and the survey itself, to be sent in early April, will come from Gallup Inc. and should be considered safe.

The Gallup-Indiana Free Speech Survey is a directive of the Indiana Legislature. As part of a House bill that Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law last year, all public Indiana colleges and universities are required to survey their undergraduate students on the topic, with results due by the end of April. Data gathered will be shared with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education as part of a larger report on the protection of free speech on college campuses.

Students should receive the survey on April 5. Individual student participation is optional, but students are strongly encouraged to participate. Surveys will be anonymous, and no identifying information will be shared.

Purdue has long established itself as a proponent of and national leader in free speech. In May 2015, the university became the nation’s first public university to adopt the Chicago Principals of free speech, also undertaking a campaign to promote a commitment to freedom of expression on campus. Purdue Graduate Student Government, with support from the Office of the President, later hosted a public forum titled “What is Free Speech?” focusing on the Chicago Principles.

College Pulse has ranked Purdue as the No. 6 college for free speech in the United States.

“As we’ve said before, no duty of a university is more central or solemn than to foster and promote the freedom to express one’s views and to protect its members against those who would infringe those rights or attempt to impose views upon them. Our administration and student leaders have worked very closely to promote these values and we hope the survey results will show that those efforts have had some success,” Purdue President Mitch Daniels said. “We strongly encourage all our undergraduates to participate in order that we can obtain the fullest and most accurate reading.”

The other public universities/colleges in addition to Purdue receiving the survey are Indiana University, Ball State University, Indiana State University, the University of Southern Indiana, Vincennes University and Ivy Tech Community College.

The survey consists of 18 questions from which students are asked to check boxes, from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Other questions will include choices from which students can choose alternative answers.

Once the survey is complete, Gallup will share the aggregate findings with the Indiana Higher Education Commission in order to gauge student perceptions of free speech at Indiana’s public college and university campuses. All questionnaires will be confidential and will be reported in aggregate.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last four years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://stories.purdue.edu.