I guess it’s only common knowledge for people who read book reviews.
[1] https://rankings.thefire.org/rank
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson%27s_Bakery_v._Oberlin_C...
This blog post claims the change was due to methodological changes that don't necessarily make sense. [2]
1: https://www.cmc.edu/newsfeed/cmc-ranks-best-free-speech
2: https://www.cmcforum.com/post/cmc-under-fire-behind-the-rank...
> a negative reaction to white professors employing the n-word hardly persuades me that CMC has a free-speech problem.
"negative reaction" is a framing... Another would be that there were multiple incidents of students reporting professors to the administration for the content of their lectures (And they don't see how that would effect free expression on campus!)
> This is a very strange criterion for evaluating free speech on campus. Some degree of self-censorship is natural, healthy, and wise. What socially aware person expresses every thought that crosses their mind
If this really is a "bad criterion" (I don't think it is), then it'd be a systemic bias effecting every school & not uniquely CMC.
It could be worse, looks like Emory dropped from #4 to #202
Berkeley vs U Chicago or Berkeley vs U Virginia would have clicked.