The Fiction of the Amoral University
Preview:
The idea of the university as morally neutral is challenged by arguing that colleges cannot avoid making value-laden choices when they act as employers, landlords, investors, admissions gatekeepers, and civic institutions. Institutional neutrality is presented as an increasingly hollow stance, especially when silence on contested social and political issues can itself function as a moral and political choice with real consequences.
Originally published: February 24, 2026
Author: Brian Rosenberg
Position: President Emeritus
Institution: Macalester College
Published by: Inside Higher Ed