Free The Inquiry is Heterodox Academy’s home for essays, expert commentary, and conversations about open inquiry in the academy.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Only free issues | Publishes | Daily |
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freetheinquiry.comLatest Issues
How Universities Can Rebuild Open Inquiry
Across Season 3 of Heterodox Out Loud, we spoke with university presidents, scholars, and public intellectuals about one central question: How can higher education rebuild a culture of open inquiry, constructive disagreement, and public tru...
Universities Need Reform. It Shouldn’t Matter Who’s Telling Them.
On August 3rd, Education Secretary Linda McMahon issued a letter titled “A National Call to Action to University Presidents and Governing Boards.” The letter has been called “Compact 2.0,” a reference to last year’s controversial Compact fo...
On institutional neutrality, we should ask not just whether, but who and why?
Attendees of Heterodox Academy’s Mountain West Regional Conference were treated to a debate on the following question: Is institutional neutrality necessary to preserve the university as a forum for open inquiry? Legal scholar Jonathan Turl...
The Weekly: The Education Department Tries a New Approach to Reform; Legacy Admissions Are on the Chopping Block, Again.
In open inquiry news this week, the Education Department swaps their big stick for a letter; AAUP president Todd Wolfson defends the union’s turn into political endorsements; a bipartisan group of senators make another attempt at banning le...
The AAUP Traded Its Credibility for a Ballot Line
By Jeffrey S. Flier
On July 30, 2026, the American Association of University Professors did something it had never done in its 110-year history: endorse a candidate for federal elected office. AAUP President Todd Wolfson announced his orga...
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Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
Free The Inquiry, by Heterodox Academy, is devoted to the defense and advancement of open inquiry in higher education.
A social scientist interested in books, education, and science. Director of Communications at Heterodox Academy.
Joseph (Jake) Klein is a writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of The Black Sheep. He is also the author of Redefining Racism: How Racism Became "Power + Prejudice." Follow him on X @josephjakeklein.
Erin B. Shaw is a Research Associate at HxA. Her background is in education research and survey methods.
Director of the Cooperative Futures Institute and Psychology Professor at Arizona State University. I study cooperation across systems, from cells to societies. Ranked in top 1% of scientists, according to Elsevier's standardized citation database.
John Tomasi, the President of Heterodox Academy, is a political philosopher who earned his graduate degrees at Oxford University. A long-time professor at Brown, he has also held teaching and research positions at Princeton, Stanford, and Harvard.
Cultural Anthropologist affiliated with Boston U, work on diversity and culture, social problems and the tensions around these questions. Challenging groupthink in academia.
Scientist. Researcher. Social Psychologist. Writer. Podcaster. Heterodox. Opinions my own. https://www.dylanselterman.com/
I'm a social scientist
Shiri Spitz Siddiqi is a Senior Researcher at Heterodox Academy. She is a social psychologist with expertise on political bias, affective polarization, and moral judgment.
Kansan.
Social scientist. Friend of puppies.
Justin McBrayer is an academic philosopher and the Director of University Partnerships at Heterodox Academy.
Phong P. Truong is a Resource Developer at Heterodox Academy.
Professor and Assistant Dean at Samford University
Dr. Andrea Clements is professor of psychology at East Tennessee State University and President of Uplift Appalachia. She facilitates collaboration among the faith, health, and science communities to address addictions and mental health challenges.
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