Several University of Illinois academic units are pressing administrators to take a stance against words and actions they say threaten students amid tense debates on what constitutes free speech.

 

Reports indicate that Chancellor Robert Jones sent out a mass email two weeks ago responding to concerns that include harassment of Muslim students and anti-immigrant messages on the quad. Jones asked the campus to combat hateful speech with "speech that builds connections and shared understanding."

 

But faculty from African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, and Latino Studies challenged Jones with a petition. The petition proposals include the university condemning hate speech under the Trump administration, supporting vulnerable students and creating legal resources for students in the country illegally.