Thompson calls for UW surveys on campus freedom of expression – WKOW

Tommy Thompson celebrating "70 for 70" campaign in video

MADISON (WKOW) -- As he wraps up his term as president of the University of Wisconsin System, Tommy Thompson told reporters Thursday he wants to better gauge perceptions students' freedom of expression on the state's campuses.

Thompson, whose final day as system president is Friday, said he wanted buy-in from campus leaders on a survey of all students and faculty across the system's 13 campuses.

Republicans in the legislature have moved to address what they believe is a climate at universities that is hostile to conservative thought. They passed a bill making it easier to sue university professors over alleged violations of a student's freedom of expression.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will likely veto the bill, which was passed in a package of education bills that allowed parents to opt their kids out of mask orders and restrict the way universities and technical colleges can teach about race.

Thompson said he believe the bill removing qualified immunity from professors was premature and based on incomplete evidence.

"Let's not pass legislation before we know a problem exists," Thompson said. "If there's a problem, and let's not base it on anecdotal evidence, let's base it on real facts, a real questionnaire."

To that end, Thompson said he wanted to issue a system-wide survey to both students and faculty asking about their level of comfort in voicing beliefs they feel may be unpopular. Thompson added he would need buy-in from the campus leaders but was "holding out hope" they would move forward with the surveys after his term.

"We're gonna send out an exhaustive survey to all the students and the faculty in our universities and let's hear directly from them," Thompson said. "Let's have the empirical data compiled as to whether or not there's a problem.'

Thompson, 80, has not ruled out running for a fifth-term as governor. He previously served as a Republican before joining the George W. Bush administration as secretary of Health and Human Services.

When asked whether he's decided on whether he'll run for office again, and what his thoughts are on the current state of the Republican Party, Thompson said he would not address "partisan" issues or his future until April at the earliest.

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Thompson calls for UW surveys on campus freedom of expression - WKOW