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.
What You Need to Know
College campuses are foundational to the future of civic life and often the catalyst for wider social change.
Colleges and universities must protect speech while allowing for academic and social discourse that is truly inclusive.
Assertive campus leadership is imperative to nurturing a learning environment where all feel welcomed and fully free to participate.
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.
Reports
PEN America has found that American campuses struggle to allow both free speech and open campuses for all students.
News
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NYU Cancels Doctor’s Speech on Humanitarian Crises that Referenced Gaza, in a Move PEN America Called “Shameful”
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PEN America Signs Joint Letter Condemning Detention of Tufts Student Rumeysa Ozturk
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Columbia University’s Concessions Strike at Core Principles of Academic Freedom and Self-Governance
Blogs
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 campusfreespeech@pen.org.
