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.
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Chasm in the Classroom
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Wrong Answer
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And Campus for All
Blogs and News
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North Carolina Professor Dismissed After Secret Recording by University in His Classroom
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Firing of Adjunct Instructor at DePaul University Over Use of Words About Palestine Violates Academic Freedom
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Disproportionate Use of Force Against Peaceful Student Protesters in Florida Cannot Stand, Coalition Says
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PEN America Signs Onto ACLS Statement on Campus Protests
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Proposed University of North Carolina Policy Change Would Chill Campus Speech, Says PEN America
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PEN America Signs Onto Historical Association Statement Voicing Concern Over Use of Force Against Campus Protesters
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
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Neijma Celestine-Donnor
Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion and Strategic Initiatives at the University of Maryland Baltimore, School of Social Work.
