Institutional neutrality in US higher education: navigating organisational complexity
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
In the US, debates on institutional neutrality (I.N.) focus on whetheruniversities must take positions on socio-political issues. Studies andcommentaries centre historical, philosophical, and speculative argu-ments that reduce I.N. to abstract and absolute terms. This paperhighlights the organisational complexities of I.N., its alternatives, andfactors that can increase or decrease its likelihood. First, we discussthree key elements of I.N., inclusive of the creation of an environmentfor diverse views, the prohibition of any corporate position on socialissues, and the exemption when one’s mission is threatened. Second,we examine the complexities of this response, given some who argueits protection of individual freedoms and institutional interests, andothers who argue the complicity and partiality of the status quo.Third, we outline organisational alternatives to I.N. like institutionalrestraint, dialogue, and commitment. Lastly, we identify organisa-tional and environmental factors—like organisational identity andhomogeneity, resource threat, mimetic pressures, and social move-ment demands – that affect universities’ decisions. Rather than pre-sent an argument whether universities should take socio-politicalpositions, this paper clarifies when universities choose to be neutral,how they navigate these tensions, and what alternative responsesthey take on. This analysis integrates empirical examples and orga-nisational theories to highlight the complexities surroundingdemands for institutional voice or neutrality.
Recommended Citation
Trinidad, J. E. R. (2025). Institutional neutrality in US higher education: Navigating organisational complexity. Journal of Further and Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2025.2558662 https://archium.ateneo.edu/
