Trump Signs Order Linking College 'Free Speech' to Federal Aid
特朗普签署行政令 将大学**与联邦补助挂勾
U.S. President Donald Trump has approved an order linking "free speech" efforts at colleges and universities in the United States to federal money.
美国总统唐纳德·特朗普批准了一项将美国高校的**与联邦资金挂勾的行政令。
Trump signed the executive order last Thursday at the White House. The measuredirectspublic universitiestocreate and enforce protections for students to express themselves freely.
Under the order, schools have to promise to support the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects free speech rights. But legal experts have noted that education institutions receiving federal money are already required to do this.
Private U.S. universities have more flexibility in limiting speech at their schools. The new executive order requires them to set up their own rules for free speech.
美国私立大学在限制校园言论方面拥有更多灵活性。新行政令要求他们自行制定**规定。
The measure requires colleges to support a right protected under the constitutionin order toreceive federal research and educational money. U.S. colleges and universities receive billions of dollars in federal money each year, including more than $30 billion for research.
"Even as universities have received billions and billions of dollars from taxpayers, many have become increasingly hostile to free speech and to the First Amendment," Trump said during a signing ceremony. "These universities have tried to restrict free thought, impose total conformity and shut down the voices of great young Americans."
Trump administration officials have suggested that, in the past, some students have violated the rights of people visiting colleges to speak. The officials claimed that individuals with conservative values have been unfairly targeted.
Trump announced his plans for his 'free speech' order earlier this month during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. At the event, Trump spoke about the case of activist Hayden Williams. Williams was hit during a visit to the University of California, Berkeley, in February. He went to the university to sign up students for a conservative group.
Enforcement of the executive order will be left to federal agencies that award federal money. White House officials did not announce details about how schools will be monitored and what kinds of violations could lead to a loss in federal aid.
Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California system, denied there is a problem with free speech at U.S. colleges and universities. In fact, she said many schools are "ground zero" for the free exchange of ideas.
"We do not need the federal government to mandate what already exists: our longstanding, unequivocal support for freedom of expression," Napolitano said.
纳波利塔诺表示,“我们不需要联邦政府来执行已经存在的事情:我们一直毫无保留地支持**。”
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities said in a statement that public schools already fully support free expression. The group added that the president's order "does not — and cannot — add to or subtract from our pre-existing obligations under the Constitution."
The American Council on Education, which represents more than 1,700 college presidents, called the order "a solutioninsearch ofa problem."
代表1700余名大学校长的美国教育委员会称这项行政令是“寻找问题的解决方法”。
Some U.S. student groups have called for restrictions on speech that is considered hateful or could incite violence. In a study published last year, a majority of American college students said they valued diversity more than protecting free speech.
The study involved over 3,000 students across the country. They were asked how much they valued diversity and free speech. One question was: "If you had to choose, which do you think is more important?" About 53 percent of the students chose "a diverse and inclusive society" over "protecting free speech rights."