Campus Free Speech

Campus Free Speech

PEN America champions free speech on college campuses

Free speech has become a flashpoint on U.S. campuses, and since 2016, PEN America has responded by producing go-to resources like our Campus Free Speech Guide and facilitating Campus for All workshops for faculty, staff, and students nationwide. We work to ensure campuses are open to all ideas and people. In our workshops for universities, and in our advocacy, we encourage campuses to robustly defend free speech and open inquiry at the same time that they advance principles of diversity and inclusion.


Our Campus Free Speech Guide

This go-to resource for faculty, staff, and students provides practical, principled guidance for how campuses can best remain open to all voices.


Our Campus For All Workshops

Developed by a diverse team of higher education professionals, our workshop offerings cover the basics of free speech and academic freedom and provide tools and tactics on campus for all members of the campus community.



Blogs

  • A smiling young woman wearing glasses and a Afro American Cultural Center at Yale shirt stands in the foreground at an indoor event, with other people and red, black, and white balloons in the background.

    Why ‘campus infrastructures for expression’ matter for new college students

    Tuesday December 2
  • A large group of people gather outdoors holding Palestinian flags, with a historic building and leafless trees in the background under a cloudy sky.

    PEN America Urges University of Minnesota Regents to Reconsider Restrictions on Departmental Speech

    Friday November 7
  • The image shows the Iowa State University entrance sign with the iconic campanile clock tower in the background, surrounded by trees and clear blue sky.

    New Rules on ‘Controversial Topics’ Create Chill in Universities in Iowa

    Thursday August 28

Bring PEN America to your campus!

In addition to our Campus for All workshops, our team is also available for conference presentations, keynotes, and panel discussions. For more information, get in touch with us at [email protected].

Our Experts