# Institutional Neutrality and Intellectual Pluralism The debate over institutional neutrality has gained renewed attention in recent years, particularly in the wake of campus responses to racial justice movements such as Black Lives Matter. As universities issued official statements and adopted positions on contested social and political issues, questions arose about the role of higher education institutions in public discourse, and whether such positions undermine the conditions needed for intellectual pluralism. Institutional neutrality is the principle that colleges and universities should not take official stances on controversial issues unrelated to their academic mission or operations. Proponents argue that neutrality helps protect academic freedom and fosters an environment where diverse viewpoints can be expressed without institutional endorsement or suppression. This approach supports the broader goal of intellectual pluralism: ensuring that individuals with different perspectives (including ideological minorities—can participate fully in academic life) --- ## Entries **21/04/2025**: [[Johns Hopkins University]] launched a multi-pronged [partnership](https://hub.jhu.edu/2025/04/21/johns-hopkins-american-enterprise-institute-partnership/) with the [[American Enterprise Institute (AEI)]] to promote intellectual pluralism across research, teaching and faculty recruitment. Initiatives include a Civic Thought conference, a faculty fellowship exchange and support for heterodox graduate students. The university also created a faculty cluster focused on conservative thought and partnered with the organization [Open to Debate](https://opentodebate.org/) to bring public debates to campus. **11/07/2024**: In 2024, the Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA), Heterodox Academy (HxA), and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) issued a [joint open letter](https://institutionalneutrality.org/) urging trustees and regents to adopt neutrality policies. The letter followed widespread campus controversies and emphasized that neutrality can help protect academic freedom, reduce polarization, and limit external pressure on universities to make political statements.