Though employers and educators might use similar terms to describe skills like critical thinking or teamwork, their interpretations and descriptions can vary significantly across different academic and workplace communities. If thousands of colleges, universities, and companies (and even more faculty and employers) are using these skills to evaluate the achievements of students, new employees, and employees poised for advancement, having a common understanding is essential.

Many universities do not effectively communicate either their policies related to free speech or the values that animate those policies, leaving students, faculty, and staff in the dark. A dearth of communication does not align with many universities’ self-perception about how effectively and actively they communicate about free speech. With that in mind, I offer five practical suggestions for universities that want to accurately and transparently convey their policies and values about free speech.