Author: Chris Hoofnagle
-
BIFI Report on OFEW
Institutional drift toward mediocre hires begins with a blurring of institutional goals. The rise of administrative authority, whose legitimacy comes from procedural control rather than scholarly achievement, can also foster institutional mediocrity. Several conditions identified in this report suggest that our institution may already be moving in that direction.
-
BerkeleySide Free Speech Panel
BIFI’s Chris Hoofnagle in conversation with BerkeleySide’s Felicia Mello, Ananya Rupanagunta (editor-in-chief, Daily Californian) Benjamin Hermalin (UC Berkeley Provost), and Ussama Makdisi (History).
-
What Does UC Leadership Mean When They Use the Word “Equity”?
BLUF: When administrators say equity they mean equal outcomes.
-
BIFI EC Statement on Brandeis Settlement
The Academic Senate must remain vigilant in its protection of academic freedom interests, and ACFR’s recommended procedural reforms offer key safeguards.
-
UC-wide, UC Faculty for Free Inquiry Forms
UCIFI is the academic freedom group that spans the entire UC.
-
BerkeleySide Reports on Brandeis Settlement
BerkeleySide reports on the Berkeley settlement with the Brandeis Center, quoting BIFI’s Chris Hoofnagle: “Berkeley can say ‘We won because we didn’t adopt [the definition],’ but the Brandeis Center can say they won because the view of what is antisemitism will now be titrated through that document,” said Chris Hoofnagle, secretary of the Berkeley Initiative…
-
Event: Chemerinsky in Conversation with Sargent
In his new book with Howard Gillman, Dean Chemerinsky explains the application of academic freedom and the First Amendment to the free expression challenges facing universities: Join us for a lunchtime conversation led by Professor Daniel Sargent Wednesday, April 8th, 1-2 PM Berkeley Law Room 100
-
BIFI EC Letter on the UCOP STEM Congress
Katherine S. NewmanProvost and Executive Vice PresidentUCOP Academic Affairs Dear Provost Newman, We are a group of Berkeley faculty representing diverse viewpoints and disciplines who share a common commitment to free inquiry, academic freedom, shared governance, and the integrity of scholarly judgment. We write regarding the Congress on Math Preparation and STEM Pathways and recent…
-
Dean Chemerinsky & Chancellor Gillman on Campus Speech
Berkeley Law Dean Chemerinsky and Chancellor Gilman have published Campus Speech and Academic Freedom: A Guide for Difficult Times (Yale University Press 2026). The book is a must read for understanding the differences between academic freedom and free speech and it has detailed analyses of recent campus speech conflicts.