Although I've not talked to any of those involved, it's hard to escape the conclusion that this is all a coordinated effort:  here now is the University President Robert Zimmer, and here is my colleage Geoffrey Stone (lead author of the University's free expression statement).  Stone's piece has a useful chronicle of examples of attempts to suppress expression on various campuses.

It is amusing to see various folks in philosophy cyberspace who are precisely part of the problem ridiculing all this as a publicity stunt; but these are the same folks responsible for the "climate of fear" in academic philosophy about attaching one's name to the defense of reasonable views about gender, diversity, the appropriate punishment of sexual harassers, and the nature and content of the philosophy curriculum.  It will soon be time to borrow one of their favorite tactics and "name and shame" the folks who have degraded the profession with their vindictive intolerance.  There is a robust culture of free expression at this University, which other schools would do well to emulate.  (I note as but one example that my libertarian and law & economics colleagues at the University of Chicago Law School knew full well the range of my political and moral opinions when they hired me!)

UPDATE:  This interview with Geof Stone suggests that the Dean of the College's letter that got all the attention was not something approved by the University Administration:  Stone basically disowns the way it was written.