The article warns against institutional policies that coerce students and faculty towards ideological conformity. Through speech codes or ideological assertions, like diverse or controversial statements, colleges can destroy intellectual debate by requiring certain viewpoints and dismissing others.

The article argues how ambiguous and subjective campus speech rules can stifle conversation. While these rules, universities contend, will protect one from harm, they necessarily limit exposure to challenging ideas, which is part of postsecondary or higher education.

The article observes that academic freedom extends beyond the confines of the classroom. Students and instructors must be allowed to engage in public discourse free from institutional interference, repeating the contention that universities must protect divergent views rather than suppress them.

Teaching cannot be reduced to job training or simple memorization. Instead, teachers must be capable of guiding students into thoughtful arguments and informed thinking so that they may challenge received opinions and create their own intellectual selves.

Academic freedom thrives when teachers and students can speak their minds, no matter how contentious. The article argues that censoring ideas, rather than debating and refuting them, puts water on the very purpose of higher education, which is for and individuals to have intellectual growth through argument.