Don warns students not to be offended

The Oxford University vice chancellor has said that it is “unfortunate” that some students “claim a right not to be offended.”

Dame Louise Richardson told the university’s student newspaper, “There is a view amongst some students – and it’s not all students – [that] there is a right not to be offended.

Louise further commented, “I think that’s unfortunate. I’d like to persuade them that that’s not a healthy approach to take.” Oxford was “pretty robust” on freedom of speech, Dame Louise added.

She also stated, “We both know that the press – or some parts of the press – likes to use the issue of freedom of speech as a stick with which to beat certain universities. But I think we’re pretty robust on the issue, even if not every student or every staff member would agree with me precisely on where to draw the lines. My own view is that all legal speech should be welcomed at universities.”

New Students were told by Dame Louise that they must be willing to “hear the other side” of arguments and that, “they should, through reasoned debate, seek to change the other’s mind and above all, be open to having their own mind changed too.”

Dame Louise also reflected on the criticisms pointed towards the university, that it is harder to win places at Oxbridge for privately educated pupils. And described the comments as a “distraction.”

She commented that, seven years ago, Oxford was criticised for being, “inaccessible to poor kids.” And followed up with, “now we’re getting criticism for the fact that it’s harder, it is alleged, for privately educated kids to get in."