Dive Brief:
- The conflicts and debates regarding free speech vs. hate speech on college campuses are often too overly-simplified in the national media and conversation, according to UC Berkeley's Pranav Jandhyala during a panel discussion at the Education Writers Association, the Los Angeles Times reports.
- Jandhyala formed BridgeUSA after UC Berkeley canceled a talk from Milo Yiannopoulos when protests outside the venue descended into violence allegedly by non-students. The incident inspired Jandhyala to take steps to create spaces and discussions where students can debate views without fear of violence.
- Former Barnard College President Judith Shapiro suggested the issue may be an “absence of quality of speech” rather than a lack of free speech, saying that higher ed institutions have the right to make considerations about how engaging and worthwhile to student learning particular speakers would be.
Dive Insight:
Many argue that administrators need to be better-prepared for the amount and intensity of these protests, as more students indicate intent to protest, but the schools are facing external pressure from lawmakers. Some state legislatures are considering bills that would target “free-speech zones” and mandate punishments on those who “disrupt” campus speakers. Some of these bills may emanate from partisan motivations, but they could increase the pressure on college campuses for students and staff alike.
In a sense, the tension is not surprising, but a mirror image of the country’s partisan divide; during the 2016 presidential campaign, Pew Research found that that partisan division was higher and more rancorous than at any point in the past 25 years, and a recent study indicated that college freshmen were more politicized than at any point in the past 50 years. That is an intimidating wave to counter, and colleges may not be able to do so. Even if that is the case, campuses can still work to master approaches and strategies that will mitigate the possibility of violence, whether that involves increased security, increased communication with students, or both.