SpeechMatters

Having just completed his first year as president of the greatest public university, University of California President James B. Milliken joins the podcast to reflect on his decades-long career in higher education, the unique responsibilities of public universities and the state of free expression and academic freedom on today’s campuses.Episode Resources: UC president: Proposed research bond critical for scientific progress | Opinion Science funding and immigration fuel America's innovation. They're at risk - Los Angeles Times Substack Preserving the Pillars of Free Speech on Campus

Explore the impact of state legislation on academic freedom, shared governance, curriculum and expression with guest Laura Benitez, senior manager, state policy and government affairs for U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America.Episode Resources: PEN America Index of Educational Gag Orders and Higher Education Restrictions Expanding the Web of Control: America’s Censored Campuses 2025 Snapshots of Censorship

In this month’s episode, we explore higher education governance — a topic that has drawn increasing attention and controversy in recent years. Drs. Demetri Morgan and Raquel Rall, co-directors of the Center for Strategic and Inclusive Governance, join us to discuss the role of governing boards and their impact on higher education’s ever-evolving landscape.Episode Resources: CSIG Resource Hub New national center supports higher education governance | UCR News | UC Riverside https://strategicinclusivegovernance.org/about-us/

As schools of civic thought expand across campuses in the United States, debate continues over whether these centers foster open inquiry or advance particular ideological agendas. Christopher Tollefsen, professor of philosophy at the University of South Carolina and interim executive director of the Center for American Civic Leadership and Public Discourse, joins us to discuss what it means to be a good citizen and the responsibilities that requires.Episode Resources: Center for American Civic Leadership and Public Discourse - McCausland College of Arts and Sciences | University of South Carolina Conservative(s) Teaching and Classroom Neutrality - Public Discourse Heterodox Civic Center Reading Guide 

This month we have the honor of talking with Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., California Secretary of State, about voting, education and the future of democracy. Dr. Weber draws on both her lived experience and her storied career as an educator and national leader in expanding voter access to discuss barriers facing college student voters and the vital role higher education plays in cultivating civic responsibility. Her insights offer hope and practical steps for strengthening democracy in 2026 and beyond.Episode Resources:More official California voting locations and vote-by-mail ballot drop-off locations can be found at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov once the election gets closer. For more information on the upcoming election, visit vote.ca.gov To learn more about California’s college civic engagement efforts, visit California Students Vote Project 

In the season five premiere of the SpeechMatters podcast, host Michelle Deutchman speaks with Center Co-chairs Howard Gillman, Chancellor of UC Irvine, and Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of Berkeley Law, about their upcoming book, Campus Speech and Academic Freedom: A Guide for Difficult Times. Against the backdrop of recent controversies — from legislative restrictions on teaching and campus protests to political pressure on colleges and universities — the episode explores how higher education leaders can navigate free speech, academic freedom and institutional governance in 2026. Resources:Campus Speech and Academic Freedom Opinion | Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion - The New York Times

In the final episode of season four of the SpeechMatters podcast, guest host and former fellow Emerson Sykes of the ACLU sits down with UC Davis law professor and former fellow Brian Soucek to explore the idea of institutional neutrality in higher education and why neutrality may be a myth. Drawing on Soucek’s forthcoming book, “The Opinionated University,” the conversation examines whether universities can, or should remain neutral amid political polarization, how claims of neutrality can undermine academic freedom and what role administrators, faculty and students should play in shaping a university’s mission and values.Episode Resources: The Opinionated University: Academic Freedom, Diversity, and the Myth of Neutrality in American Higher Education, SoucekInstitutional Values, Academic Freedom, and the First Amendment | UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement

What does it take to create a campus where open dialogue and inclusion thrive side by side? Guest host Alex Kappus talks with Caroline Mehl, the co-founder and executive director of the Constructive Dialogue Institute, about how higher education can model the kind of discourse democracy demands. Together they explore the social science behind constructive dialogue, what leaders can do to foster trust and why free expression remains essential to learning and civic life.Episode Resources: The Path Forward After Political Murder by Jonathan Haidt and Caroline Mehl, the Chronicle of Higher EducationHigher Education’s Role in a Polarized America by Alex Kappus, Carnegie BlogBuilding Cultures of Constructive Dialogue: A Blueprint for Campus Leaders

In this episode, constitutional law scholar Timothy Zick joins us to discuss how President Trump’s second term is testing our commitments to free expression and academic freedom. From the chilling of faculty speech to the fraught intersection of the First and Second Amendments, Zick examines how executive overreach is placing the nation’s core democratic freedoms under unprecedented strain.Episode ResourcesThoughts on the First Substack Trump 2.0: Executive Power and the First Amendment“New Threats to Campus Protest”

For this special Constitution Day episode, SpeechMatters is joined by Dr. Colleen Shogan, the former Archivist of the United States, to reflect on the enduring legacy of America’s founding documents. From the urgent need for a national “civics renaissance” to the risks of political interference in how we teach history, the conversation offers powerful insights into what it means to safeguard our democratic ideals in an era of polarization, misinformation and rapid technological change.Episode Resources: America needs a civic education moonshot, before it’s too lateThe Declaration of Independence | National Archiveshttps://www.inpursuit.org/ 

Politicians, professors and pundits all seem to be talking about viewpoint diversity, and questioning whether it is a robust part of college and university life. But what does viewpoint diversity mean and how do we evaluate if it is alive and well on campus? Jon Shields, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, shares his take on why having a diversity of views in the classroom serves democracy and offers ideas for fostering a climate of open inquiry and intellectual pluralism.Episode Resources:"Closed Classrooms? An Analysis of College Syllabi on Contentious Issues," Working Paper Draft, July 10, 2025, with Yuval Avnur and Stephanie Muravchik"Liberal Professors Can Rescue the GOP," New York Times, 23 March 2023“I’m a Conservative Professor Who Opposed Safe Spaces. I was Wrong.” New York Times, 7 April 2022

In this episode, we explore a powerful VOICE project that uses art and dialogue to empower immigration-impacted communities to share their stories. Guests Dr. Laura Enriquez, Giovanna Itzel and Breana Figueroa Perez discuss their approach to fostering reflection, connection and understanding through "artivism." They explore how creative expression can bridge divides, challenge perceptions and ignite social change, and offer listeners inspiration to explore their own narratives. Episode Resources: 2025 VOICE Recipients — UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement(Re)writing Migration Stories — Undocumented Student Equity Project

SpeechMatters kicks off our VOICE Summer Series by exploring the impact of the Civic Engagement Scholars Program (CESP) — a course created and taught by UC Santa Barbara VOICE recipients Katya Armistead and Viviana Marsano. Guest host Melanie Ziment talks with them and their students Sofia Aliamus and Ashley Segat about civic engagement education and how the course is inspiring the next generation of citizens to be active participants in their communities.Episode Resources: Civic Engagement Scholars Program — VOICE Initiative ReportUndergraduate Student Advocacy in the University of California System: a Handbook by Emma Tolliver, UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement  CHANGE! A Student Guide to Social Action by Scott Myers-LiptonFacing the Fracture: How to Navigate the Challenges of Living in a Divided Nation by Dr. Tania Israel

In this month’s episode, we explore how  generative artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping education — from how students learn to how educators teach. Digital Promise President and CEO Jean-Claude Brizard joins us to discuss the opportunities and challenges AI presents. Whether you are an educator, parent or student, or just curious about this innovative technology, the conversation offers valuable insights for navigating the future of education in the AI era.Episode Resources:Artificial Intelligence in Education – Digital Promise ‘We Have to Really Rethink the Purpose of Education’ - The New York Times

SpeechMatters welcomes Jeremy Young from the American Association of Colleges and Universities for a conversation about ongoing attacks on higher education — and what’s at risk if we don’t defend our colleges and universities. Jeremy discusses why it’s critical for higher education leaders to speak with a united voice, especially in light of growing government interference and censorship efforts under the current administration. Episode ResourcesA Call for Constructive Engagement | AAC&UEmerging From a Collective Silence, Universities Organize to Fight Trump - The New York Times

This month Michelle talks with UC Student Regent Josiah Beharry and Student Regent-Designate Sonya Brooks to explore the power of student leadership in shaping the university. Josiah and Sonya share their journeys to these roles, the challenges they have faced and strategies they have developed to advocate effectively. At a time when higher education is facing unprecedented challenges, their insights offer a hopeful vision for the positive power of speech. Episode Resources:How research prepared Sonya Brooks to represent UC students on the Board of Regents | University of CaliforniaUC Merced graduate student Josiah Beharry appointed as 2024-25 UC student Regent | University of California

TikTok is banned (and then not). Meta eliminates fact-checking. Policy-makers debate how to moderate content and provide a safe online experience. So much is happening in the world of online speech, which is why we invited John Perrino, Senior Policy and Advocacy Expert at Internet Society to join the pod. He will help clarify what’s at stake, why it matters and how using technology in moderation can improve our lives. Episode Resources: The Global Impact of a US TikTok Ban - Internet Society Using 'safety by design' to address online harms An overdue idea for making the internet safer just got the funding it needsPush for Independent Research in Tech Accountability Legislation

2025 is hardly underway, and it’s already clear that the new year and new administration will spell changes for how the federal government regulates higher education. Joining us to discuss  the demise of the Chevron doctrine, the nominee for Secretary of the Department of Education and the role we can play in promoting the value of higher education is Jonathan Fansmith, the American Council on Education’s Senior Vice President of Government Relations and National Engagement. Episode Resources:ACE’s dotEDU Live Podcast: Higher Education’s Path Forward in Trump’s Second Term“The Only Certainty Is Uncertainty” by Jon Fansmith in Inside Higher Education

In the final episode of Season 3, Michelle sits down with Dr. Mary Anne Franks, a leading First Amendment scholar, to discuss her new book “Fearless Speech: Breaking Free From the First Amendment.” Dr. Franks unpacks the concepts of "fearless speech" and “reckless speech,” and delves into how her book reimagines free speech as a practice rooted in courage, candor and accountability.Episode Resources:Fearless Speech: Breaking Free from the First Amendment by Mary Anne FranksAmicus Podcast from Slate featuring Mary Anne Franks: https://slate.com/podcasts/amicus/2024/11/trumps-justice-pick-matt-gaetz-is-a-portrait-of-maga-misogyny 

Internationally renowned election law expert, Rick Hasen, joins SpeechMatters to reflect on last week’s election, the role of disinformation in the lead up to it, and the types of challenges our democracy may face under the new administration.  Episode Resources: The Safeguarding Democracy Project: https://law.ucla.edu/academics/centers/safeguarding-democracy-project Election Law Blog: https://electionlawblog.org/

Too often the conversation about expression in higher education centers on the social sciences, humanities and the law, which is why this month we are speaking with Dr. Catherine Lucey, executive vice chancellor and provost at University of California San Francisco (UCSF). We discuss the history of advocacy and community engagement at UCSF and how she thinks about current speech challenges.Episode Resources: UCSF Med School Differences Matter: https://medschool.ucsf.edu/differences-matter UCSF Office of Diversity and Outreach: https://diversity.ucsf.edu/UCSF Institutionalizing Rest in Response to Racial and Sociopolitical Trauma: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38847650/NY Times: "In San Francisco, Doctors Feud Over ‘Do No Harm’ When It Comes to War Protests:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/24/us/israel-hamas-war-sf-doctors.html

Piya Bose, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at UC San Diego, was part of the UCSD team that weathered an encampment, the cancellation of the school’s annual Sun God Festival, and the occupation of a campus Starbucks last academic year. She joins SpeechMatters to discuss lessons learned, how to apply them in the new year and remind us of the transformative power of a college or university education.Episode Resources:Voter Engagement Resource Page: https://freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/programs-and-resources/resource-materials-voter-engagement/ 

Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court closed out its blockbuster term with expression-related decisions that affect the national regulatory and higher education landscape. Leading constitutional scholar and UC Berkeley School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky joins SpeechMatters to share both his insights on this Supreme Court term and his reflections on the tumultuous past year on campus.Episode ResourcesNY Times Opinion: "The First Amendment is Out of Control" by Tim WuACLU: "Why is the ACLU Representing the NRA Before the US Supreme Court" by Anthony D. RomeroFreedom Forum: First Amendment Supreme Court Cases: 2023-2024 Term

Last season, as generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots dominated the national headlines, we explored the impact of new technologies on teaching, research and learning at colleges and universities. This year, we return to the topic of AI, with a focus on how the technology is affecting our election and information systems. Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of California Common Cause, joins us to discuss election protection, including the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy (CITED), Common Cause’s newest effort to fight technology based-threats to democracy.Episode Resources: CITED – California Initiative for Technology and DemocracyCITED Report: Democracy on Edge in the Digital AgeCA Common Cause – Three Bills Addressing Dangers of AI to Elections Pass Assembly FloorLA Times “Opinion: AI is turbocharging disinformation attacks on voters, especially in communities of color”Washington Post “In Arizona, election workers trained with deepfakes to prepare for 2024” Center on Technology Policy at UNC Chapel Hill Report: The new political ad machine: Policy frameworks for political ads in an age of AI

The anti-Gaza war protests and encampments that have taken place at universities across the country have drawn the attention of everyone from the President to the media and members of Congress, provoking comparisons with the student movements of the 1960s. Robert Cohen, the foremost expert on UC Berkeley’s Free Speech Movement (1964) and its famed orator Mario Savio, joins us to discuss what we can learn from the past and the present in order to be prepared for what lies ahead. Episode Resources: LA Times “Opinion: Today’s protests are tamer than the campus unrest of the 1960s. So why the harsh response?”94.2 KPFA “A History of Student Movements”

Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), discusses the wide and deep impacts that ongoing legislative attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, officers and trainings have on higher education. Episode Resources: Chronicle of Higher Ed DEI Legislation TrackerNADOHE Legislation ResourcesNADOHE Communication Guide"DEI Isn't Scary; Political Purges Are by Ryan A. Miller

Jim Grossman, executive director of the American Historical Association (AHA) joins the podcast to discuss how “divisive concepts” legislation creates challenges for the teaching and learning of history that compromise democratic values and institutions. Throughout the conversation, Grossman points to the vital role that facts, critical thinking and source credibility play in maintaining an informed and engaged public. Episode Resources:https://time.com/6917632/history-wars-teacher-survey/   https://www.historians.org/divisive-concepts-statement  https://www.historians.org/news-and-advocacy/teaching-history-with-integrity/freedom-to-learnhttps://www.chronicle.com/article/here-are-the-states-where-lawmakers-are-seeking-to-ban-colleges-dei-effortshttps://www.historians.org/research-and-publications/perspectives-on-history/march-2023/the-integrity-of-history-education-bills-censoring-k%E2%80%9312-classrooms-censor-higher-education-as-wellhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdcoBQy41zI https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/opinion/the-new-history-wars.html

What is the state of youth voting among college students as we barrel toward the November presidential election? Today’s guests, Jennifer Domagal-Goldman from ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, and UC Berkeley undergraduate student, Alex Edgar, discuss successful strategies to increase youth participation in local, state and federal elections in 2024. Listen in for tangible tips on actions you can take now to engage the young people in your life and on your campus.Episode Resources:Every single person in a college community can help support nonpartisan democratic engagement on their campus by:Visiting www.allintovote.org and check or update your registration and then take our Pledge to Vote - and then ask three friends or family members to do the same. Asking your president or chancellor to join more than 625 of their peers in signing our Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation. It sends a strong signal to the campus that nonpartisan voter engagement matters.Working with your athletic department to encourage all athletic administrators and coaches to sign the 2024 Coaches Pledge.Recognizing a student who’s doing extraordinary work on your campus with the ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll. Submitting a nonpartisan campus democratic engagement action plan by May 31, 2024.Learn more about the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition: https://slsvcoalition.org/  Check out the latest U.S. Department of Education Toolkit for the Promotion of Voter Participation for Students: https://allin.vote/USEd-Toolkit   

Restorative justice – traditionally used as a way to respond to criminal acts – is now being used on college and university campuses to foster community, improve relationships and respond to harm. Leading the way is the Office of Restorative Justice Practices at UC San Francisco directed by this month's guest, Dr. Maria Jaochico. Dr. Jaochico grounds us in restorative justice approaches that can be utilized when community values compete with protected speech. Episode Resources: Restorative Justice Practices at UCSF (UCSF)RJ101 For workplaces and organizations (UC Berkeley)National Education Association Restorative Practices (NEA)"Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice" by Fania E. Davis

People do not seem to agree on much right now; however, there does seem to be consensus that this is a challenging and painful time on college campuses. This month’s guests, Dr. Katya Armistead, assistant vice chancellor and dean of students for UC Santa Barbara and Dr. Genie Kim, director of student mental health and wellbeing at the UC Office of the President, discuss the hard work of providing support to the campus community when ugly speech rears its head.Episode Resources"How two Dartmouth professors are addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" (NPR)Student mental health & well-being (UC Office of the President)Message to students on "Campus Climate and Civility" from Margaret Klawunn, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and guest Katya Armistead at UC Santa Barbara

Join the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) director of the Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, Ben Wizner, for a conversation about former President Trump’s use of the First Amendment as a legal defense, whether his speech on January 6th meets the Supreme Court’s test for incitement and how AI might impact the democratic process.Episode Resources: "Opinion: We’ve defended Trump’s 1st Amendment rights. But his latest claims about the Jan. 6 indictment are nonsense” by David Cole and Ben Wizner: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-08-12/opinion-is-trump-right-to-claim-free-speech-as-a-defense  Just Security Trump Trials Clearinghouse: https://www.justsecurity.org/88175/trump-trials-clearinghouseDOJ 2020 Election Interference Indictment:  https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Just-Security-Jan.-6-D.C.-Trump-Clearinghouse-%E2%80%94-Federal-Indictment-of-Donald-Trump-August-1-2023.pdf Georgia 2020 Election Interference Indictment: https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/just-security-fulton-county-da-indictment.pdf

As the academic year begins and students return to campuses, we look forward to another year of expression and engagement. This month we are honored to have UC President Michael V. Drake join the podcast to discuss a time when he spoke up in the face of racism, how UC uses its voice to further its motto of Fiat Lux as well as to share some song picks with us.Episode Resources: 2022-2023 Class of Fellows Projects: https://freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/fellows-22-23/ President Drake's Song Picks: “Wake up Everybody” by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOxoeGL3tTo “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4 “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNTltOGh5c

Two former fellows, Dr. Alice Yau, a Sergeant with the Chicago Police Department and Dr. Jill Dunlap, Senior Director for Research, Policy, and Civic Engagement at NASPA join us this month to discuss their research and curriculum related to speech, campus law enforcement and student affairs administrators. Together, with host Michelle Deutchman, learn how this dynamic duo paired up to address protest and free speech policies on campus. Episode Resources:For more information about Jill & Ali’s Student Affairs Workshops: https://freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/filling-in-the-free-speech-gaps/ 2020-2021 Fellowship Project – Mind the Gap: Administrators’ Role in Reducing Tensions Between Campus Law Enforcement and Student Activists: https://freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/fellows-20-21/dunlap-yau-research/ Jill & Ali’s Fellows in the Field Workshop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irTF309Rrak Two examples recommended during the episode:University of Oklahoma Campus Event Response Team (C.E.R.T.): https://www.ou.edu/studentaffairs/resources/cert University of California Irvine Constructive Engagement Model: https://dos.uci.edu/images/freespeech/Constructive%20Engagement-The%20UCI%20Model.pdf

In this month’s SpeechMatters episode, former fellow and UC Davis Law Professor Brian Soucek dives into what’s happening in the lower courts when it comes to campus speech. Brian and Michelle talk diversity statements and the recent lawsuit against UC Santa Cruz, bias response teams and Speech First’s targeted lawsuits against them,  and the potential impact of the decision in 303 Creative. Episode Resources: “Institutional Values, Academic Freedom, and the First Amendment” Brian Soucek Fellowship Project: https://freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/fellows-20-21/soucek-research/ “How to Protect DEI Requirements From Legal Peril” by Brian Soucek: https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-to-protect-dei-requirements-from-legal-peril “Speech First, Equality Last” by Brian Soucek: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4500504 “Bias Response Teams and Emerging Alternatives” Ryan Miller Fellowship Project: https://freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/fellows-21-22/miller-research/ “Stop WOKE Act” Brief by Amna Khalid & Jeffrey Snyder: https://www.jeffreyaaronsnyder.com/_files/ugd/5c295d_d92e4f6fac034844b5b34f1b0b50244f.pdf

The latest generative AI technologies have dominated the headlines these last few months raising questions about how ChatGPT will change teaching, research and learning at colleges and universities, as well as in society at large. In this episode, we explore AI’s impacts – both big and small – with nationally recognized technology policy expert and Director of UNC at Chapel Hill’s Center on Technology Policy Matt Perault. Episode Resources:UNC Center on Technology Policy: https://techpolicy.unc.edu/Matt Perault Article on Section 230 and Chat GPT: https://www.lawfareblog.com/section-230-wont-protect-chatgpt“Our Robophobia” by Andrew Keane Woods: https://www.lawfareblog.com/our-robophobia“Communications Can Be Defamatory Even If Readers Realize There's a Considerable Risk of Error” by Eugene Volokh: https://reason.com/volokh/2023/03/31/communications-can-be-defamatory-even-if-readers-realize-theres-a-considerable-risk-of-error/ Class Notes Links“On Juneteenth” by Annette Gordon-Reed: https://bookshop.org/p/books/on-juneteenth-annette-gordon-reed/15266396Jenny Pizer, LAMBDA Legal SpeechMatters Episode: https://freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/speechmatters-podcast/#Ep6Jenny American Library Association’s “Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022:” https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

With college life fully back in-person this year, we have seen a series of heckler’s vetoes and violence at universities across the country. This week’s guests, UC Davis student body President Radhika Gawde and Penn State’s Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, Danny Shaha, join us to share their experiences preparing for and responding to polarizing figures invited to speak on campus. Episode Resources:Penn State Statement Prior to Oct. 24 eventPenn State President Bendapudi’s message after the cancelation of the eventPenn State President Bendapudi’s free speech videoUC Davis Free Speech Town Hall Prior to March eventUC Davis Statement Post Oct. 25 event cancellation UC Davis Chancellor May’s free expression video 

This month’s episode features Slate Senior Editor and Lady Justice author Dahlia Lithwick. Together with host and Center Executive Director Michelle Deutchman, Dahlia talks through recent events at Stanford Law School, cases at the high court and the significance of the expulsion of two Black Tennessee state representatives for exercising their speech rights. Episode Resources: Recent Slate Articles by Dahlia Lithwick: “How to Use the Lesson the Media Learned About Trump Now” "Blue America Finally Caught Donald Trump"Most Recent “Amicus” Podcast Episode on Tennessee Legislators: https://slate.com/podcasts/amicus/2023/04/the-tennessee-three-and-the-republican-strategy-to-make-voting-irrelevant New York Times piece by Vimal Patel on Stanford Law School: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/09/us/stanford-law-school-free-speech.html Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America by Dahlia Lithwick 

UC Irvine School of Law Clinical Professor David Kaye joins SpeechMatters this month to tackle freedom of expression from a global perspective. The conversation touches on how tools like social media and AI might work for (and against) protesters around the world, and why “using the vocabulary of human rights” here at home and on our campuses can enhance expression. Episode Resources: International Justice Clinic at UC Irvine LawSpeech Police: The Global Struggle to Govern the Internet by David KayeUN Guiding Principles on Business and Human RightsDavid Kaye’s work as UN Special Rapporteur Global Network Initiative

Two former Center fellows Ellis Cose, Director of the Renewing American Democracy Project, and Teri Platt, Associate Professor of Public Administration at Clark Atlanta University come together to talk about Black History Month, the teaching of Black history and the critical role that the next generation of voices can have in our democracy.Resources: Renewing American Democracy Project  Teri Platt’s Fellowship Project: “Evaluation of Free Speech and Civic Engagement on Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Campuses for 2020 Social Justice Summer and General Election” Ellis Cose’s Fellowship Project: “Free Speech in a Post-Truth Society” La Times opinion article by Ellis Cose: “Opinion: Black History Month is a century-old relic – one we still desperately need” Campus Vote Project - Legacy Initiative  Ways that Voting is Harder in GA

To kick off season two of SpeechMatters, Michelle Deutchman is joined by University of Pennsylvania Professor and author Sigal Ben-Porath to discuss her new book, Cancel Wars: How Universities Can Foster Free Speech, Promote Inclusion, and Renew Democracy. Ben-Porath leaves listeners with steps everyone can take to strengthen community and, ultimately, democracy. 

With the holiday season in full swing, Michelle Deutchman chats with Tania Israel, UCSB Professor and the author of Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, and BridgeUSA CEO Manu Meel, about how to engage in challenging conversations with family and friends and why doing so is fundamental to democracy. NOTE: Since the time of recording the “Class Notes” segment, a contract was ratified for a number of the UC strikers.

In this episode, Center Executive Director Michelle Deutchman and Eric Goldman, Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Law at Santa Clara University Law School, consider the two cases on the Supreme Court docket that could transform the internet speech landscape. Goldman suggests ways that individuals can be part of shaping the future of “Internet 3.0.”

In this episode, Michelle Deutchman invites PEN America’s Director of Free Expression and Educational Programs Jonathan Friedman and ACLU’s Senior Staff Attorney Emerson Sykes to discuss their ongoing efforts to protect free speech and academic freedom from censorious state legislation.

In this episode, Michelle Deutchman sits down with two seasoned journalists on the higher education beat, Elissa Nadworny from National Public Radio and Michael Powell from The New York Times, to discuss what their reporting has revealed about the evolving relationship between higher education, free speech and democratic learning.

In this ‘Back to School’ episode, Michelle sits down with UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman and Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of Berkeley Law, who also serve as co-chairs of the Center’s National Advisory Board. The trio discuss recent trends related to campus speech and academic freedom, as well as what challenges lie ahead in the coming academic year.

In this episode, Michelle Deutchman discusses the legal fight for equal rights for the LGBTQ community with Jenny Pizer, Acting Chief Legal Officer at Lambda Legal. Lambda is the oldest and largest national legal organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV. Michelle and Jenny discuss the role of litigation, education and public policy work in the LGBTQ movement including the release of the updated Title IX regulations and an expressive conduct case that is headed to the Supreme Court.

In this episode, two experts – both of whom have conducted research on the issue of self-censorship – help us look behind the click-bait headlines to examine why college students may be reticent to share their viewpoints. Dig into the data with Elizabeth Niehaus, associate professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and Senior Fellow at the Center, and Sean Stevens, senior research fellow in polling and analytics at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

In this episode, former Secretary of Education and Maryland gubernatorial candidate John B. King, Jr. discusses some of the challenges facing higher education (high costs, opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect minority students, state legislatures’ threats to academic and individual freedoms) and why his outlook remains hopeful for its future.

In this episode, special guest Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation, discusses the alarming rise in book bans across the United States, and what this dangerous trend means for the future of education, politics, and our essential freedoms. 

In this episode, Michelle Deutchman sits down with Dania Matos, the Vice Chancellor for the Division of Equity & Inclusion at the University of California, Berkeley. The pair discusses Dania’s commitment to "leading with love" in her equity and inclusion work in the private, nonprofit and government sectors, and her experience with targeted harassment because of this important work.