ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Chicago principles

The Chicago Principles are a set of five principles that focus on protecting free expression and open dialogue at universities. These principles are meant to make sure that students, faculty, and staff of universities can have an open and free exchange of ideas and discussion.

The first principle is that universities should have a commitment to free, robust, and uninhibited debate and deliberation of ideas. This means that everyone involved in a university should be able to express their thoughts and opinions freely, and no one should be censored for their views.

The second principle is that the university should welcome a diversity of people and opinions. This means that the university should create an environment where people of different backgrounds and beliefs feel accepted and comfortable expressing their views and opinions.

The third principle is that universities should maintain a commitment to their educational mission. This means that the university should strive to act in a way that is beneficial to the educational mission. This means ensuring that the university is providing proper education, being research-oriented, and engaging in other activities that help the university fulfill its educational mission.

The fourth principle is that universities must provide an environment that encourages open and critical dialogue. This means that everyone should be allowed to have meaningful, respectful conversations about different perspectives and ideas - even if those views differ from their own.

The fifth principle is that universities should allow members of the university community the freedom to make their own decisions about what to discuss and express. This means that the university should not interfere with people's decisions about what to talk about. People should be able to express themselves without fear of being punished for speaking their mind.