Mississippians Celebrate Free Speech on State Campuses

Mississippi news outlets continue to celebrate the state's good record for freedom of speech on its flagship campuses, with both Ole Miss and Mississippi State listed among the top seven colleges for free speech on campus by FIRE. The Dispatch is the latest to remark upon the Magnolia State's high ranking for freedom of speech, with (of course!) an SEC football angle: 

As college football enters its third week, the Southeastern Conference continues its stranglehold on the national polls, claiming three of the top seven spots in two separate polls. 

But it turns out, the SEC has some other rankings to brag about this week.  

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) released its second annual list of Best Colleges for Free Speech, and FIRE's top seven list includes, you guessed it, three SEC universities.   

Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi and the University of Tennessee–Knoxville may not be the poster children for SEC football, but they are at the top when it comes to the First Amendment.

Read on for more, including comments from Dean of Students Sparky Reardon (Ole Miss) and Dean of Students Thomas Bourgeois (Mississippi State) about how relatively simple changes cleaned up their codes, matched official written policy to school practice, and landed their institutions on FIRE's list.