Since 2021, PEN America has documented a concerted legislative assault on the independence and intellectual freedom of American higher education classrooms and institutions. These laws seek to undermine free expression on campus, censor what can be taught and read in classrooms, and silence discussion of core issues related to American history and our country’s enduring challenges.

Laws constricting higher education classrooms, curricula, and institutions have gone into effect in seven states, while over 100 additional bills across over 30 states have either been proposed or are currently under consideration. In PEN America’s 2022 report on the rise of educational censorship, “America’s Censored Classrooms,” we found that nearly 40% of all proposed educational gag orders introduced in 2022 targeted colleges and universities.

Galvanized by these legislative threats and united by a shared vision of American higher education as an essential pillar of democracy, over 300 college, university, and system heads are banding together to launch PEN America’s new initiative, “Champions of Higher Education.” Together, these higher education champions will coordinate communications and coalition-building efforts to fight political interference and government overreach on campus. Through writing and speaking engagements in communities where they have influence, and by drawing on their relationships with leaders across key sectors, the former higher education leaders will rally the public to maintain academic independence on our college campuses and reclaim popular recognition of higher education as a democratic and societal good.

Read the Champions of Higher Education Statement of Purpose and the full list of signatories here. The initiative is still recruiting former presidents and system heads to join its ranks; if you are interested in participating, contact Clare Carter at [email protected].

In launching this nonpartisan initiative, PEN America is grateful for the generous support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Lumina Foundation, and the Henry R. Luce Foundation. The work of the Champions of Higher Education does not reflect the views or positions of these foundations. PEN America is also grateful for the collaboration of Campus Compact in developing this initiative.

editorials by champions of higher education

• “Higher Education in a Benighted Age” (Medium) by Marjorie Hass, Austin College (TX); Rhodes College (TN)
• “Opinion: Diversity, equity and inclusion are not dirty words. Why are they being treated as such in higher education?” (San Diego Union-Tribute) by George R. Boggs, Palomar College (CA)
• “A Nation at Risk” (AGB) by David Maxwell, Whitman College (WA); Drake University (IA)
• “Tenure process needs further review” (Inforum) by Larry Isaak, North Dakota University System (ND)
• “US higher education is endangered” (Boston Globe) by Drew Gilpin Faust, Harvard University (MA)
• “‘Free and Brave:’ Defending Universities and the Rule of Truth” (Drew Faust) by Drew Gilpin Faust, Harvard University (MA)
• “In Defense of DEI: Where are the College & University Presidents?” (Higher Ed Jobs) by George A. Pruitt, Thomas Edison State University (NJ)
• “How Bipartisan Coalitions Can Strengthen Our Educational System” (AFT) by Patricia Okker, New College of Florida (FL)
• “Academic Freedom Must be Protected at New College of Florida” (Sarasota Tribune) by Esther Barazzone, Chatham University (PA)
• “Why Florida’s Public College Presidents Should Resign” (Inside Higher Ed) by Robert Birnbaum, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (WI)
• “Let’s talk, not censor: What colleges and legislators get wrong about free speech” (Baltimore Sun) by José Antonio Bowen, Goucher College (MD).
• “We 7 former Florida college presidents say enough is enough” (Tampa Bay Times) by Wilson G. Bradshaw, John C. Cavanaugh, Charles R. Dassance, Lars A. Hafner, Michael V. Martin, Eduardo Padrón, and Dale Whittaker
• “The Hills on Which We (Used to) Die” (Inside Higher Ed) by John C. Cavanaugh, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PA); University of West Florida (FL)
• “Gag Laws Limit Religious Liberty” (Outreach) by Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
• “How A Campus Interfaith Center Fell to Florida’s Anti-DEI Legislation” (Religion News Service) by Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
• “Florida Conservatives Abandon Their Small-Government Roots” (Tampa Bay Times) by A. Lee Fritschler, Dickinson College (PA)
• “The Time Is Now” (Inside Higher Education) by R. Barbara Gitenstein, The College of New Jersey (NJ)
• “What the Founding Fathers understood about college education” (The Albany Times Union) by Philip A. Glotzbach, Skidmore College (NY)
• “College censorship, book bans hurt all Americans” (Staten Island Advance) by Richard Guarasci, Wagner College (NY)
• Testimony on HB1446 by Lary Isaak, North Dakota University System (ND)
• “Ban the Ban, Not the Book” (Philadelphia Citizen) by Elaine Maimon, Governors State University (IL)
• “Retired Presidents Join Campaign To Fight Political Interference With College Campuses” (Forbes) by Michael T. Nietzel, Missouri State University (MO)
• “I Was President of Florida’s New College. Then I was Fired.” (Chronicle of Higher Education) by Patricia Okker, New College of Florida (FL)
• “America’s Censored Classrooms” (Sun Sentinel) by Eduardo Padrón, Miami Dade College (FL)
• “From heavy hand of government to speaker shout downs, free speech in peril on campuses” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) by Kevin Reilly, University System of Wisconsin (WI)
• “A Gaggle of Gags (Not the Funny Kind)” (Trusteeship) by Kevin Reilly, University System of Wisconsin (WI)
• “The Fight for Florida’s New College” (Chronicle of Higher Education) by Brian Rosenberg, Macalester College (MN)
• “Colleges and learners should decide, not the government” (VTDigger) by Peter Smith, Community College of Vermont (VT); California State University, Monterey Bay (CA).
• “Politicians are trying to undercut colleges. Despite the consequences, we must speak up.” (USA Today) by David Warren, Ohio Wesleyan University (OH)
• “Universities cannot be bystanders when democracy is imperilled” (Times Higher Education) by John Silvanus Wilson, Morehouse College (GA)