Academic Freedom & Freedom of Speech

October 7, 2020 - May 4, 1970 forever changed Kent State University and the nation, as four students...

In a previous column examining the “multiple hats” that college and university lawyers wear, I outlined “protector of the mission” and “defender of institutional values.” These roles are particularly important at a time when many are raising questions about the …

As freedom of speech controversies continue to command headlines, institutions are facing unprecedented pressure to define what, when, and how speech should be given free rein or curtailed to preserve order and morality. A plenary session at AGB’s National Conference …

The issue of freedom of speech on college and university campuses has captured the interest of the nation and attracted considerable media attention. As board members and institutional leaders address the difficult questions that arise in relation to this controversial …

When Thomas Jefferson conceived the University of Virginia (UVA) two centuries ago, he based it on a radical proposition. He said, “This institution will be based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind. For here we are not afraid …

Partially obscured in the flurry of landmark decisions at the end of the recently concluded Supreme Court term was one with potential ramifications for higher education. The Court’s June 1 decision in Elonis v. United States revisited important freedom-of-speech principles …

A few hundred years of American jurisprudence have largely determined the parameters of permissible expression in most facets of American life, but now we are facing new challenges posed by the freewheeling nature of the new “social media.” Thus far, …

Civil discourse lost one of its greatest academic champions in September when Ursinus College President Bobby Fong passed away. In his heart and mind, he believed that a liberal-arts education prepares students for lives of purpose, producing civic-minded citizens and …

Last issue’s column asked whether and under what circumstances a faculty member can be called to account based on the content of speech or the impact speech has on listeners. I provided some illustrative examples of what I termed “intemperate …

Like the rest of us, faculty members sometimes say things that are injurious to others. Under what circumstances can they be called to account because of what they say and the impact of their words on listeners? That question arises …