PROF. JENKINS: How you can promote free speech on your campus
The first thing you can do is literally speak up. Sure, be strategic about what you say, when, and where.
Rob Jenkins is a Higher Education Fellow with Campus Reform and a tenured associate professor of English at Georgia State University - Perimeter College. In a career spanning more than three decades at five different institutions, he has served as a head men’s basketball coach, an athletic director, a department chair, and an academic dean, as well as a faculty member. Jenkins’ opinions are his own and do not represent those of his employer.
Across the West, free speech is under attack like never before. In (formerly) Great Britain, people are being thrown in jail for social media posts. French authorities just arrested the billionaire CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, for spreading “misinformation.”
And on U.S. college campuses, once bastions of free speech, that value is no longer championed. To the contrary. As Campus Reform reported earlier this month, a recent Knight Foundation-Ipsos study revealed that 70 percent of students “believe that speech can be as damaging as physical violence.”
Another survey, conducted in 2023 at Furman University, found that 40 percent of students there believe it’s acceptable to “shout down” speakers they disagree with. I suspect the number is probably higher on many public campuses.
So while I wouldn’t go so far as to say that free speech in this country is dead, it is clearly on life support.
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What can you, as a college student, do about It? Contrary to what you might believe, you are not powerless—far from it. Free speech is a public good only to the extent that people are actually willing to speak freely, and that is certainly something you can do.
Just remember, the word “free” here means “unfettered,” not “without cost.” There may well be a cost associated with speaking your mind. But if you’re willing to take that chance, and possibly pay that price, you can do much within your own sphere to advance the cause of freedom.
The first thing you can do is literally speak up. Sure, be strategic about what you say, when, and where. Sometimes you just need to pass the course and move on. Even if the professor is spewing nonsense, you may be required to regurgitate a certain amount just to get a decent grade.
However, there’s a fine line between going along to get along and selling your soul. Some issues are too important, some lies too egregious, for you to remain silent.
If you can shrug off a few minor falsehoods and parrot your way to a pass, fine. But there may be times when your conscience simply won’t allow it—when you must speak the truth, either aloud or in writing, regardless of the consequences.
That requires courage, but declining to step up at those moments is like pulling the plug on free speech.
You can also make your voice heard by submitting articles, op-eds, or letters-to-the editor at the school newspaper. If your school paper, like most, is nothing but a left-wing rag, look for alternative student-driven publications on your campus. You can always join Campus Reform as a student journalist.
Next, look for like-minded compatriots. That might mean joining conservative groups or just supporting them by attending their events. It might simply mean gravitating toward fellow students who share your views, perhaps forming study groups or holding brainstorming sessions. There certainly is strength in numbers.
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Finally, be open to other views. Free speech is always a two-way street: If you expect people to listen to you, you must also—perhaps first—listen to them. That’s what free speech is all about—an open exchange of ideas for the purpose of reaching some sort of understanding, if not consensus.
My experience suggests that, once you establish your willingness to listen, you’re more likely to find an attentive audience for your own views. And who knows? You might even learn something.
Of course, these days, many on the Left are not interested in an open exchange of ideas. They just want to shout down and humiliate anyone who disagrees with them. In that case, you should be as courteous as possible while also standing firm in your beliefs. You have no obligation, in the interests of decorum, to allow yourself to be intimidated.
By taking these three steps—speaking up when appropriate, seeking out like-minded fellows, and listening politely to those who disagree—you can do much on your campus to promote free speech. And if an entire generation of conservative students were to adopt this formula—well, together, we might just be able to take free speech off life support.
Editorials and op-eds reflect the opinion of the authors and not necessarily that of Campus Reform or the Leadership Institute.
