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Free Expression on Campus

Free Expression on Campus

We have entered a turbulent time of free speech, expression, association, and advocacy on campus. From the Black Live Matter movement in the summer of 2020 to the protests since October 7, 2023, campuses have become ground zero for major free expression controversies. Have modern colleges adopted or been forced into the role of “referee” in the marketplace of ideas?  Many ideas will also have dedicated advocacy efforts associated with them; there is no reason to believe the market of ideas will be free from conflict. How will modern colleges manage the dynamics of free expression and advocacy in today's political climate?  Where does academic freedom fit into the calculus of managing expression on the contemporary campus?  What important lessons about free speech and advocacy do we need to teach this generation of learners? A major takeaway of this webinar will be how to focus on places and spaces as much as speakers and ideas.  Join Professor Lake for this 90-minute webinar as he discusses the frontiers of free expression on American college campuses.

Learning Outcomes
  • Understanding the political climate around free speech and academic freedom
  • Articulate the laws around free speech and expression for departments and partners on campus and in your current role. 

 

 

Peter Lake

Professor of Law; Director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy

Stetson University

Peter Lake is a professor of law, Charles A. Dana Chair, and the Director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy at Stetson University College of Law. He has spent 30 years in the classroom teaching law students and served as Stetson’s interim director of Title IX compliance in 2015. He is an internationally-recognized expert on higher education law and policy. He has been quoted or referred to in hundreds of newspapers and court opinions throughout the United States, including the Supreme Courts of California and Massachusetts in 2018. Professor Lake, an award-winning academic, has authored numerous law review articles, books, and other publications. Professor Lake is a highly sought-after speaker, and he has served as a presenter or keynote speaker at several hundred international, national, regional, and local meetings. He has trained thousands of campus personnel on student safety and other issues, including student mental health, alcohol and drug abuse, Title IX and sex discrimination, and First Amendment issues. Professor Lake is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School and serves as a Senior Higher Education Consulting Attorney at the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC.

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