The school’s newly-installed President Maurie McInnis announced last week her administration has adopted an "institutional neutrality" standard, according to the student newspaper Yale Daily News.
McInnis’ decision comes after Yale’s Committee on Institutional Voice recommended that Yale leaders mostly refrain from issuing statements on matters of public importance.
The committee of seven faculty members provides an out as it encourages university leaders to use their personal judgment on when speaking for the school would be appropriate. Generally, they are advised to avoid statements unless they directly relate to Yale’s mission, the newspaper reported.
Laura Beltz of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression says Yale is not the only university to employ this new strategy.
"A lot of leaders were backing themselves into a corner by releasing repeated statements about the war in Gaza, and so now a lot of colleges are realizing it might be a better approach to stay neutral and to allow students to discuss those issues instead."
The fact that the policy leaves room for school leaders ultimately make their own call on making statements means it could be abused, Beltz said.
"It seems like an administrator, or a leader could decide that, well, this is of great significance. I need to speak. And so, it's something that I think remains to be seen whether this will actually be in line with principles of institutional neutrality or not,” she said.
Beltz says a "neutrality statement" lets students discuss an issue and make up their own minds as to what position to take.
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Perhaps McInnis’ approach after the presidential election – when she chose not to offer a public opinion – will give school leaders a bit of guidance on what circumstances might make a statement necessary.
“It has been my practice as a leader to not issue statements on the results of elections,” McInnis wrote to the News when asked whether the decision not to release a statement was a personal one or a broader university strategy.
