President Hiram Chodosh was interviewed about results of the 2021 College Free Speech Rankings, which placed Claremont McKenna the nation’s No. 1 college for free expression. “At CMC, we respect and engage in robust discussions around diverse viewpoints, including those with which we most strongly disagree,” Chodosh said. “We seek to examine the underlying basis for those disagreements, including any about the proper protections and limitations of free speech. This is how we can learn from disagreements and reach stronger levels of shared understanding. This is how responsible people serve and lead others, not through the sheer exercise of power, but through the power of persuasion.”

The story highlighted CMC’s commitment to free speech noting that dialogue and debate are central to CMC’s culture. The school sponsors The Athenaeum, a public-affairs program that brings a range of speakers to campus to meet with students and discuss important political and cultural issues. It dedicates several pages on its website to affirming and explaining the school’s commitment to free expression. According to the Free Speech Survey, 54 percent of CMC students surveyed felt it was “very” or “extremely” clear that the administration protected free speech on campus,” according to the story.