MENOMONIE, Wis. (WMTV/AP) - A University of Wisconsin-Stout professor has decided to delay sending a survey to UW System students about their thoughts on free speech until fall after an interim chancellor resigned over the questionnaire.

UW-Stout’s Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation had planned to send the survey out to students systemwide Thursday. But UW-Whitewater Interim Chancellor Jim Henderson quit Monday, saying chancellors oppose the questionnaire and Interim System President Michael Falbo flip-flopped on allowing it.

Timothy Shiell, the Stout professor who runs the Menard Center, told Falbo in an email Wednesday afternoon that “given current circumstances” he must delay the survey until fall. He said the delay will enable the center to answer questions about the survey.

NBC15 News obtained a copy of the Free Speech survey and replicated it below.

Please note that some elements of the poll, such as checkboxes and some formatting, did not translate well into our page layout. Therefore, some of the elements had to be adapted. For example, checkboxes became bullet points. All text matches the original survey.

Section 1: Viewpoint Diversity

In this first section of the survey, we are interested in your attitudes and opinions about viewpoint diversity. There no right or wrong answers. Please answer as honestly as you can.

How much does each of the following statements describe you?

	Not at all like me	A little like me	Somewhat like me	Quite like me	Very much like me
When thinking about an issue, I consider as many different views and opinions as possible.
It is easier for me to tune in to viewpoints I agreewith than to viewpoints I don’t agree with.
I do not tolerate people who hold views that can be harmful to others.
I reconsider my opinions when presented with new evidence
I am tolerant of other people’s views, but only if those views are not offensive.

Please rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements:

	Strongly Disagree	Slightly Disagree	Neutral	Slightly Agree	Strongly Agree
When evaluating the things people say, it is important to consider the impact their words have on other people.
When evaluating the things people say, it is important to consider the intentions behind their words.
It would be hard to ban “hate speech” because people can’t agree which speech is hateful.
Giving voice to unpopular or offensive viewpoints encourages healthy academic dialogue.
Offensive speech causes people psychological harm.

Please respond to the following questions.

	Definitely No	Probably No	I’m Neutral	Probably Yes	Definitely Yes
If a required reading/assignment for a college class includes content that some students believe is harmful to a particular identity group, should the professor drop the reading/assignment as a requirement?
If a topic being discussed in a college class includes perspectives that some students believe is harmful to a particular identity group, should the class stop discussing the topic?
If a professor says something in class that some students believe is harmful to a particular identity group, should the students report the professor to the university?
If a student says something in class that some students believe is harmful to a particular identity group, should the students report that student to the university?
If a student says something in class that some students believe is harmful to a particular identity group, should the professor stop that student from talking?

Student groups often invite speakers to campus to express their views on a range of topics. If some students perceive a speaker’s message as offensive or biased against certain groups of people, do you think university administrators should disinvite the speaker?

Yes, they should disinvite the speaker
No, they should not disinvite the speaker
I have no opinion

If some students perceive a speaker’s message as offensive or biased against certain groups of people, how do you think the students should deal with the situation? Check any that apply.

Ignore the speaker/Don’t attend the presentation
Contact the event organizers to express concerns about the speaker’s message
Protest outside the event
Attend the presentation and ask challenging questions
Attend the presentation to ridicule the speaker
Attend the presentation to make noise so the speaker cannot be heard
Attend the presentation to physically force the speaker from the stage

If you had to choose one of the options below, which do you think is more important for colleges to do?

Prohibit the expression of ideas if some students feel the ideas are psychologically harmful
Allow the expression of all types of ideas even if some students feel the ideas are psychologically harmful

Section 2: Perceptions of Campus Climate

In this section of the survey, we are interested in your perceptions of the atmosphere in your classes and on your campus toward engaging with diverse viewpoints.

Please answer the following questions.

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very Often
How often do your professors encourage students to explore a wide variety of viewpoints and perspectives?
How often do your professors create a classroom climate in which people with unpopular views would feel comfortable sharing their opinions?
How often do your professors promote their own political views in the classroom?
If student responds with something other than “Never,” then follow up: Please explain the circumstance(s) in which you feel your professors have promoted their own political views.

Please rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

	Strongly Disagree	Slightly Disagree	Neutral	Slightly Agree	Strongly Agree
On my campus, students are genuinely interested in discussing controversial ideas.
On my campus, it is better to keep quiet than to speak out with an opinion that other people don’t agree with.
On my campus, students who have views similar to mine feel uncomfortable voicing them.
On my campus, if a controversy over offensive speech occurred, the administration would defend the speaker’s right to express their views.
On my campus, students who have views that differ from mine feel uncomfortable voicing them.

Section 3: Self-Censorship and Compelled Speech

In this section of the survey, we are interested in whether you have self-censored in class and, if so, why.

How often have you wanted to speak up in class about a controversial issue, but decided not to?

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

If student responds rarely/sometimes/often/very often, then follow up:

Think about the times you wanted to speak up in class about a controversial issue, but decided not to. Why did you not speak up? Check any that apply.

I generally don’t speak up in class, regardless of the issue
I really didn’t care that much about the issue
I felt like I didn’t know enough about the issue to speak up about it
I was in a class that was not open to, or did not encourage, discussion
I felt that speaking up about the issue would be too emotionally taxing for me
I did not want to reveal something about my identity by stating my views
I was worried that other students or the professor would disagree with me
I was worried that other students or the professor would dismiss my views as offensive
I was worried that other students or the professor would feel psychologically harmed by my views
I was worried the professor would give me a lower grade because of my views
I was worried someone would file a complaint claiming my view qualified as harassment

Other; please explain:

How often have you felt pressured by a professor to agree with a specific political or ideological opinion being expressed in class?

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

If student responds with anything other than “Never,” then follow up: Please explain the circumstance(s) in which you felt pressured by a professor to agree with a specific political or ideological opinion being expressed in class.

Section 4: Free Expression and Its Consequences

In this section of the survey, we are interested in how you feel about engaging in various “free expression” behaviors, and any consequences you may have experienced from engaging in such behaviors.

Have you engaged in any of the following behaviors?

Check if yes:

Disagreed aloud with one of your professors about a controversial topic
Disagreed in writing (e.g., on a written assignment) with one of your professors about a controversial topic
Expressed your views on a controversial topic during an in-class discussion
Expressed your views on a controversial topic to other students during a discussion in a common campus space, such as a quad, dining hall, or lounge
Expressed an unpopular opinion to your fellow students on social media
Expressed an unpopular opinion to your fellow students while off campus, such as at a restaurant or gathering
Expressed your political/social/religious views on classroom markerboards or campus sidewalks
Hung or distributed papers across campus papers that have your political/social/religious views on them
Expressed your political/social/religious views by assembling or protesting with others on campus (e.g., the campus quad or student center)

Have you experienced a negative consequence from your university -- such as getting a lower grade or being reported, suspended, or expelled -- for any of the following behaviors?

Check if yes:

Disagreeing aloud with one of your professors about a controversial topic
Disagreeing in writing (e.g., on a written assignment) with one of your professors about a controversial topic
Expressing your views on a controversial topic during an in-class discussion
Expressing your views on a controversial topic to other students during a discussion in a common campus space, such as a quad, dining hall, or lounge
Expressing an unpopular opinion to your fellow students on social media
Expressing an unpopular opinion to your fellow students while off campus, such as at a restaurant or gathering
Expressing your political/social/religious views on classroom markerboards or campus sidewalks
Hanging or distributing across campus papers that have your political/social/religious views on them
Expressing your political/social/religious views by assembling or protesting with others on campus (e.g., the campus quad or student center)

Section 5: The First Amendment

In this section of the survey, we are interested in how much you know about your First Amendment free speech rights.

In classes at your university, how much have you learned about your First Amendment free speech rights?

Not at all

A little

Some

Quite a bit

A lot

Imagine each of the following circumstances happening to a student at your university. Please indicate whether you interpret each one as a violation of the student’s First Amendment free speech rights as those rights are currently understood by the courts.

	This is a violation of the student’s rights	This is not a violation of the student’s rights	I’m not sure
The residence hall director removes a political sign from a student’s dorm room door
TikTok suspends a student’s account because the student posted an anti-vaxx video
Administrators on campus prohibit student protestors from blocking access to certain buildings on campus
Campus housing limits which movies students can watch in the privacy of their dorm room
A student’s private employer says the student cannot hand out flyers about their campus organization at work

Consider each of the following behaviors. Please indicate whether you interpret each behavior as protected by the student’s First Amendment free speech rights as those rights are currently understood by the courts.

	This behavior is protected	This behavior is not protected	I’m not sure
A student distributes pro-Nazi leaflets on a street corner near the university
A student threatens another student with physical violence
A professor criticizes an elected official on their personal Twitter feed
A group of students tells another student that their views are not welcome on campus
A student accuses a university administrator of taking bribes on Instagram when the student knows the accusation is false
A group of students tells another student that persons of their ethnicity are not welcome on campus

Does the First Amendment allow your university to ban “hate speech” on campus? ○ Yes ○ No

Does the First Amendment allow your university to ban “threats, intimidation, and harassment” on campus? ○ Yes ○ No

Section 6: Demographic information

In this section, we ask you basic demographic information. We ask these questions so that we will be able to assess whether the distribution of students responding from each campus is representative of that campus’ student body.

Which UW System university do you attend?