Because of what the University of Texas did, there is now a very important talk going on about free speech in schools. What UT and other schools decide will have a big effect on how people think about student activism and academic freedom.

In this changing and complicated world, colleges in the 21st century will have to find a way to balance institutional rules with people’s right to disagree. The University of Texas’s choice is a turning point in this ongoing debate because it shows how difficult it is to protect tradition while also encouraging free speech.