Discussions surrounding ideology and free speech on college and university campuses continually occur in the popular press. In this forum, Herbeck (see EJ1171161) chronicles several heated clashes over free speech that have recently erupted on campuses across the country, fueling news stories reported through traditional and social media. Issues pertaining to ideology can quickly and understandably come to the surface in communication courses, even if faculty are reluctant to discuss these topics in the classroom. That said, research has suggested that students are prone to perceive faculty who challenge them to think critically about important societal issues as ideologically biased (Linvill & Mazer, 2011, 2013). This essay examines the role of students' cognitive development as it influences issues of freedom of speech in the classroom. The findings from decades of research published in "Communication Education" and other journals overwhelming indicate that instructors have a significant ability to influence the classroom environment through their communication. However, classroom communication is not just a one-way street; rather, it is a function of instructors' and students' individual trait orientations toward communication (Mottet, Richmond, & McCroskey, 2006).