Colleges that respect students’ free expression outnumber those with restrictive speech codes for the first time in two decades, according to an annual report from a free-speech advocacy group. Here’s what you need to know about the college free speech improvement trends:

The milestone achievement

FIRE report shows historic shift in campus policies:

The restrictive policy decline

“Red light” campuses with severe restrictions dropped significantly:

The bias reporting elimination

State and federal pressure prompted policy changes:

The scrutiny effect

Report author cites multiple pressure sources:

The bias reporting background

Hundreds of campuses implemented complaint systems over past decade:

The lawsuit victories

Conservative students successfully challenged restrictive policies:

The Trump administration response

President signed executive orders supporting campus reforms:

The improved universities

Four schools upgraded to “green light” status:

The Dartmouth achievement

Only Ivy League school to earn top rating:

The Chicago statement influence

University of Chicago model gains widespread adoption:

The implementation challenges

Scholar notes gap between policies and enforcement:

The remaining problematic schools

Some institutions still maintain restrictive policies:

The database breakdown

FIRE categorizes 490 schools across rating system:

The Ivy League improvements

Several elite schools upgraded from worst category:

The comprehensive reform need

Report author says more work needed:

Read more:

• Free speech group’s report finds college speech codes improving under Trump

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