Public or Private? Tensions Around Expression in Campus Spaces

Join Scholars at Risk (SAR) and the SAR-United States Section for Lines, Line-Drawing, and Consequences, a five-part discussion series that will explore common situations that invoke core values on college and university campuses. Every other Wednesday, SAR Executive Director Rob Quinn will lead a discussion about a particular paradigm, drawing on recent case examples. The sessions will be interactive, and will offer participants tools for assessing incidents and developing pro-values responses for their campus.

 

SESSION II: PUBLIC OR PRIVATE? TENSIONS AROUND EXPRESSION IN CAMPUS SPACES

At the University of Louisville, a student engages in “anti-gay pampleteering,” raising questions about protected speech and institutional responsibilty to intervene on behalf of marginalized groups. At Pepperdine, a student’s senior art exhibit is moved from the campus gallery due to its depiction of nude females. At Middlebury College, the challenges of navigating controversial speech are well-known, as the institution disinvited, and then re-invited, Charles Murray.

Issues around controversial speech and expression have pressured colleges and universities to examine and articulate their values. Using the case examples as a jumping off point, we will explore how colleges and universities weigh the conduct, activities, and expression deemed permissible on their campus, and how public and private settings impact these considerations.

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