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

  • 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
  • ‘It’s up to us’: Student Organizer Uplifts Community to Defend Free Expression

    Thursday August 21
  • A collage of six people of diverse backgrounds, each facing the camera and seated indoors. They are all dressed in earth-toned clothing, with neutral expressions, and a plant and bookshelf visible in the background.

    ‘Integral to What it Means to Be an American’: College Students on Free Expression 

    Monday August 11

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