Campus Free Speech Resources

In a democratic society, colleges and universities play an essential role in ensuring vigorous debate on important matters. This free exchange of ideas is vital to civic participation, whether through educationally appropriate classroom discussions, extracurricular campus events or protests on the quad. Higher education faculty and staff have important roles to play in maintaining our college campuses as sites for difficult, passionate conversations about the issues that shape our world. At the same time, it is incumbent upon all members of the campus community to ensure that these exchanges do not devolve into intimidation or racially, politically or religiously motivated attacks or threats of violence.

It is more important than ever to provide a safe learning environment where difficult discussions and debates can happen and where free speech on campus is protected from attacks by all, including campus administrators, well-heeled donors, unscrupulous politicians and off-campus extremists.

AFT response to campus protests and free speech resources
AFT President Randi Weingarten shared a tweet thread last year in which she reaffirmed the AFT’s commitment to free speech and academic freedom, and condemned the use of police to break up peaceful protests.

As Weingarten said in that thread, “Cracking down on peaceful student protests is wrong. And counterproductive. Agreement is not the arbiter of whether to defend the exercise of expression. We don’t have to agree with students 100 percent to support their right to protest. As long as the speech is neither violent nor hateful, we have to defend the right to protest.”

For more information, see the AFT’s November 2023 resolution condemning hate and affirming academic freedom and free speech on campus, and our January 2024 resolution calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas war, calling for a cease-fire and promoting steps toward a two-state solution. Finally, as a part of the Real Solutions for Higher Education campaign, the AFT is committed to continuing to support our affiliates and members and standing up for the rights of all members of our campus communities. 

Related Resources:

Freedom to Teach and Research
PEN America: For Federal Censorship of Higher Ed, Here’s What Could Happen in 2025
American Educator, Summer 2024: Defending the Freedom to Teach and Learn (2024)
AFT press release: “Florida Teachers Union Files Suit to Protect University Faculty Rights” (2024)
AFT/ AAUP FAQ: “Campus Free Speech/Academic Freedom in Politically Charged Times” (2024)
AFT resolution: “Condemning Hate and Affirming Freedom of Speech on Campus” (2023)
American Association of University Professors statement: “Academic Freedom in Times of War” (2023)
PEN America: “Campus Free Speech” resources
DRAFT white paper: Cass R. Sunstein, “Free Speech On Campus? Thirty-Seven Questions (and Almost As Many Answers)” (December 28, 2023)
The Researcher Support Consortium's Resource Guide

Pushing Back against Hate on Campus
The Nexus Project, “A Campus Guide to Identifying Antisemitism” (2024)
AFT press release: “Academic Freedom and Fight Against Hatred and Bigotry on Campus Go Hand in Hand” (2023)
White House fact sheet: “Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Address Alarming Rise of Reported Antisemitic and Islamophobic Events at Schools and on College Campuses” (2023)
Faculty First Responders: “Resources for Higher Education Workers”
Faculty First Responders: “Resources for Administrators”
PEN America's Online Harassment Field Manual

Campus Protests
AFT FAQ: "Campus Free Speech/Academic Freedom: Protests" (2024) 
Center for American Progress: "Principles for Universities Responding to Campus Protests Over Gaza" (2024)
ACLU: Know Your Rights: Protesters’ Rights