The UNC Board of Trustees passed a resolution affirming its commitment to free speech after passing time, place, and manner restrictions on campus protests. The resolution proclaimed the University’s support for students’ right to protest while maintaining the need to prevent the disruption of operations. This comes after protests last spring led to class cancellations and threats against administrators.

UNC Student Jaden Miller argues that UNC needs better forums for students to converse freely with each other about issues of importance. He points to a recent study that showed a sizable population of UNC students do not feel comfortable openly sharing their political opinions. He proposes moderated public lecture halls and online forums as possible methods to engage students in meaningful dialogue.

The revocation of six UNC students’ visas follows the issuance of a Trump administration executive order targeting those who “intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit” immigration law. While the specific reasons for the visa terminations at UNC are unclear, FIRE has warned that revoking visas for political speech, including “hateful ideology,” will chill campus speech and may violate the First Amendment.