Politics, Institutional Speech, and the College Campus

November 16–16, 2023

This webinar was produced by the Campus Free Expression Project when it was still part of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Over the past several years colleges and universities have increasingly issued institutional statements to comment on political issues, Supreme Court rulings, and cultural controversies. This approach has created an expectation for leadership to weigh in on a range of issues, drawing criticism and pressure whether they do or don’t.

How should presidents navigate these pitfalls when communicating with their campus communities, while ensuring space for civil expressions of opposing viewpoints?

Join BPC on November 16 for a conversation with college presidents about strategies for developing criteria and guidelines on institutional speech and the expressive rights of faculty and students that is appropriate to individual institutions and their mission.

Introduction

Michele Nellenbach, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, BPC

Panelists

Jonathan R. Alger, President, James Madison University
Ana Mari Cauce, President, University of Washington
Jonathan J. Sanford, President, University of Dallas
Lori S. White, President, DePauw University

Moderator

Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill, Director, Campus Free Expression Project

Council of Independent Colleges