4217 - Navigating Free Speech, Student Politics, and Faculty Harassment : Sociological Reflections and Tips for Professional Practice

Session Submission Type: Workshop

Description

PEN America is a free expression organization engaged on issues of campus free speech, diversity, and inclusion. We aim to bridge current divides on these issues, offer clear guidance for campus constituents navigating free speech controversies, and be a source for principled reactions to flare-ups over hateful expression, academic freedom, and ongoing challenges of inclusion on U.S. campuses.

In this workshop we will engage a community of sociologists to reflect, discuss, and educate about: 1) diversity, inclusion, and student politics on campus and 2) harassment of faculty, particularly online.

The session will combine presentations by sociologists on these issues, with opportunities for participants to engage with and debate two hypothetical scenarios. In small group roundtables, participants will examine: first, a scenario involving deep disagreement in a classroom between students holding politically diverse perspectives and, second, a scenario involving a controversial tweet by a faculty member.

The scenarios will be based on real-life events, helping participants to consider them from different vantage points. PEN America staff will then facilitate a discussion of the pros and cons of different responses. These various discussions will be informed by the sociological perspectives on these issues presented beforehand. Participants will also have ample opportunity to share and reflect upon any of their own experiences with controversies over free speech and inclusion at their own institutions.

Overall, those in attendance will learn about the legal context for free speech and academic freedom on campus; recent research on student politics on campus and how it can impinge upon classroom environments; and experiences of online harassment and how faculty can guard against it, as well as help their institutions to support them. The session will also familiarize participants with PEN America’s principles for navigating any future speech, diversity, and inclusion challenges.

Sub Unit

• Workshops / Professional Development Workshop

Session Organizers

• Jonathan Z. Friedman, PEN America, Project Director, Campus Free Speech

• Adeline Lee, PEN America

Co-Leaders

• Amy J. Binder, University of California, San Diego

• Jeffrey L. Kidder, Northern Illinois University