Durham University officials are reviewing guidelines for inviting guest speakers after a dispute with columnist Rod Liddle.
In December, some students walked out of an after-dinner speech at South College over comments, some about gender.
Principal professor Tim Luckhurst was criticized for calling those who left “pathetic” and resigning from his duties, but has since returned.
Durham added it has no intention of “barring speakers from our campus.”
It said Tom Allen, Master of Gray College, would conduct a review of how “we hire outside speakers for college-based events,” but that would not result in speakers being disfellowshipped by the university.
“Rather, the focus will be on providing clarity on how students and the broader college community will be engaged, including the suitability of the forum for each speaker and ensuring attendees are provided with adequate information in advance,” said the University.
In December, Mr Liddle – a former BBC Today editor – told BBC News university students that they had to listen to views “contrary to their own” and said his speech was about “tolerance”.
The student newspaper of the University of Palatinate first reported on the dispute. Invited by Prof Luckhurst – himself a former journalist and editor – Mr Liddle also met student journalists.
Durham confirmed it would not release details of Prof Luckhurst’s involvement in the incident, but said that as a university “it must always strive to establish a culture that is underpinned by respect and our values,” and it did so included “being proud” of how ideas were discussed and debated, “including those that we may find challenging”.
“We should ensure that, as an educational institution, we give our students the opportunity to discuss openly so that ideas and views can be heard and contested with respect,” the statement added.
Niall Hignett, a South College student and organizer of protests on the issue, said the university’s response smacked of a “systemic cover-up”.
He said it is not about free speech, but about “student welfare and welfare,” adding that since the event was not taking place in an academic setting, “there was no place for academic debate.”
He added that university managers have turned out to be “puppets of culture war advocates” and have failed to support marginalized students.
Sara L. Uckelman, co-commissioner for equality at Durham University and College Union, called for an apology and said she will continue to push for “a clear and unequivocal statement” that the behavior observed at the South College formal was “unacceptable and not be will be tolerated”.
“There is no way the university can credibly claim that it is serious about creating an open and non-discriminatory environment that supports everyone – regardless of class, gender, race, sex or gender – unless it unequivocally condemns that behavior.” She said.
In December, the university said it was “concerned by reports that the behavior exhibited on this occasion fell short of what we expect”.
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