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.



News

  • A person holds a megaphone, speaking or shouting, standing next to a building with tall columns. The image is in black and white, with strong shadows and sunlight on the wall.

    Disciplining NYU and GW Students for Commencement Speeches is Wrongheaded

    Tuesday May 20
  • Free Speech Vindicated as Judge Releases Detained Columbia Student Mohsen Mahdawi

    Wednesday April 30
  • A stone sign reading Cornell University is set in front of a leafy green backdrop, with red flowers blooming in the foreground along a sidewalk.

    Cornellโ€™s Cancellation of Kehlani โ€œSets Dangerous Precedent for Campus Censorshipโ€

    Friday April 25

Blogs

  • A man in a tuxedo speaks at a clear podium with a โ€œPEN Americaโ€ sign, while a woman stands nearby holding papers. The backdrop displays multiple โ€œPEN Americaโ€ logos.

    Wesleyan University Presidentย Michael Roth’s Remarks Accepting the PEN/Benenson Courage Award

    Monday May 19
  • A woman with long dark hair stands outdoors, wearing a white knit top and jeans. She is smiling with a blurred cityscape and greenery in the background.

    โ€˜Fraughtโ€™ Frontiers for Student Press Freedom Day 2025

    Wednesday February 26
  • A college campus with a brick building, trees, and walkways under a blue sky. In bold red letters, DEI Events Canceled is stamped across the image.

    ‘This Conference Has Been Canceled’:ย  The Impact of Trumpโ€™s War on โ€˜DEIโ€™

    Friday February 14

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