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Education Now

Maintaining a Culture of Free Expression on College Campuses

Education Now explores how to balance free expression and open dialogue in higher education

Many American colleges and universities are reexamining how to balance free expression and open dialogue while preserving a safe, productive, and respectful learning environment. In this edition of Education Now, we look at lessons to be learned from evolving views about free speech policies on college campuses.

Host: Francesca Purcell, Senior Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Guests:

  • Bharat Anand, Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, Harvard University, and the Henry R. Byers Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
  • Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
  • Linda Livingstone, President, Baylor University

Key Takeaways:

  • Freedom of speech and academic expression are not absolute. Academic freedom is governed by professional standards, and universities can’t be deliberately indifferent if there is a hostile environment. University leaders can condemn offensive speech and provide physical protection, emotional support, and training for students. 
  • Practice and policies should be consistent. It is not just what universities and colleges say about free expression and academic freedom; it’s the subsequent actions that are taken that are important. Universities should prepare for and practice how they will respond to potential future challenges. 
  • Self-censorship has become a significant problem on campuses, particularly for students. Leaders and faculty need to know how to facilitate conversations on difficult issues and how to create environments where students can think critically and have healthy arguments about different points of view.

Education Now

A webinar and newsletter series to shape new approaches to challenges in education

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