This concern is rooted in recent events’ alleged infringements on free speech. In September, campus sent student and faculty information to the federal government as part of a Department of Education investigation into alleged antisemitism, which students criticized as a betrayal of their free speech rights.That same month, a coalition of UC students and employees sued President Donald Trump’s administration for violating their freedom in speech in academia.
Although campus highlights free speech as one of its “most cherished values,” the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings done by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression gave campus an F score on its free speech climate.
“I still have had students talk to me about feeling uncomfortable sometimes about saying what they were thinking,” Farber said. “Actually, from progressive Jewish students who thought they were being ostracized by a lot of progressives here last year with stuff about Gaza.”
Campus climate for conservative students
An example of a recent event featuring varied perspectives was UC Berkeley’s hosting of the final stop of Turning Point USA’s “American Comeback Tour” on Nov. 10 — the same tour where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot Sept. 10. Kirk’s killing has amplified debate over the current state of free speech and political violence.
Citing the Kirk incident, Miguel Muñiz, campus junior and president of Berkeley College Republicans, or BCR, said he does not always feel safe sharing his beliefs on campus.
“It’s rare that you meet a college Republican who, at the very least, hasn’t been screamed at,” Muñiz said. “And it’s a pretty common experience to be assaulted or battered. Since the death of Charlie Kirk, we’ve had a lot more students who were really, really scared … but I think they’ve been made a little bit more brave.”
He alleged that no action was taken by campus after he filed a complaint to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment & Discrimination about being followed around and threatened by another student, noting that as “very telling of campus culture.”
“When there’s a culture of excusing violence, there actually needs to be some extra steps taken for conservative groups on campus,” Muñiz said.
However, according to Farber, UC Berkeley’s ability to regulate potential hate speech is “narrower” than what people think, due to the Supreme Court’s “broader” range of protected speech.
UC Berkeley needs concrete evidence of a disruption during a class or interfering with safety in order to do so, Farber explained. This is reflected in campus’ Time, Place and Manner policies.
“I am more worried about the Trump administration and free speech in their settlements to universities — I think it’s an infringement on free speech,” Farber said in reference to the $1.2 billion settlement sent to UCLA.
Campus efforts to mitigate social hostility
Meanwhile, campus has been trying to encourage respectful exchange of ideas in a Berkeley Changemaker course titled “Openness to Opposing Views.”Launched last summer,the course is a one-credit, fully online and asynchronous curriculum designed by 23 faculty members across 15 academic departments.
This semester has registered about 5,000, according to the course’s co-creator, Laura Hassner.
“A course like ‘Openness to Opposing Views’ is so aligned with the culture at UC Berkeley… questioning the status quo … and also core to the academic enterprise of things that we do here at Berkeley,” Hassner said. “The course is an impassioned argument for the purpose of engaging with people whose viewpoints are radically different from your own.”
Senior Michelle Gallaga,who enrolled in the course this fall,said it has helped her learn how to approach conversations with her relatives of different political affiliations.
However, she agreed with sophomore Reily Molina, who also enrolled this fall, that the course’s lack of engagement with other students inhibited actual interaction with opposing views.
“A big problem with it being asynchronous was that nobody really actually talked to each other,” Molina said. “In my opinion, the class kind of felt like an echo pod. I was putting down my opinions and such, but it never really felt like I was getting any feedback.”
Campus announced in an email Wednesday that it would be launching a UC-wide Campus Climate Assessment Survey in order to “better understand student experiences and perceptions related to discrimination and harassment,” with a specific focus on Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students.