The First Amendment and Student Activism: A Collaborative and Culturally Responsive Approach to Developing Community
Includes a Live Web Event on 02/18/2025 at 2:00 PM (EST)
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- Non-member - $179
- Member - $79
Eric Scott
Vice President for Student Affairs
The University of New Mexico
Dr. Eric Scott serves as Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of New Mexico. Prior to his current role, Dr. Scott held leadership positions at Boise State University and the University of Alaska Southeast. He has spent his career in service to students prioritizing the infusion of equity-minded and research-informed practices to support student success, with emphasis on practices that improve both outcomes and lived experiences for students with historically minoritized identities. Dr. Scott holds a doctorate in education from Oregon State University with research focused on how intersections between race, gender, and rurality with a focus on Alaska Native students, manifest in postsecondary outcomes for students from remote-rural Alaska. Dr. Scott also holds a bachelor of arts and a master of education from the University of South Carolina. As a proud first-generation college graduate and strong believer in the community mission of public postsecondary education, he believes that together we can build a stronger and more just society.
Nasha Torrez
Dean of Students
The University of New Mexico
Nasha has been the Dean of Students at the University of New Mexico since 2016, with deep roots in northern New Mexico. As a two-time alum of UNM, she has a personal connection to the programs she now oversees, and credits these very programs for contributing to her success as an undergraduate. After earning her Bachelor’s in Business Administration, she advocated for students with disabilities in Southern California, ensuring full inclusion and access to mental health services, particularly for Spanish-speaking, Native American, and rural communities. Nasha then returned to New Mexico, where she earned her Juris Doctorate from UNM School of Law, specializing in education law and civil rights. With over ten years of legal practice, before becoming the Dean, her expertise covers critical areas like student grievances, academic appeals, due process, freedom of expression, Title IX, and disability rights. In addition to her deep legal knowledge, Nasha is a leader in conflict resolution, mediation, and crisis intervention, skills that make her an invaluable asset to students and staff alike.
This webinar will offer a primer on how the First Amendment comes into play in the public square on a public university’s campus. Following the establishment of a legal and policy foundation, presenters will offer a framework to explore the creation, implementation, and outcomes of an effective First Amendment and Student Activism Task Force. The overarching goal of the presentation is to position attendees to lead and participate in meaningful institutional evolutions that can address the many competing demands related to free speech on public campuses. Learned skills will include consideration of the equitable implementation of the protocol, development of user-friendly educational resources, communications strategies, legal implications, safety, finances, planning, logistics, and community relations.
Learning Outcomes
1. Participants will understand how federal law narrows to policy and practice within public postsecondary education. Session attendees will receive resources for consideration in educating their campus population on freedom of expression rights law.
2. Participants will examine a model for institutional and community engagement that can lead to enhanced collaboration, understanding, and alignment amongst parties impacted by public square speech in postsecondary education.
3. Participants will complete a worksheet to help them think about which stakeholders to engage on their campus and what areas they should examine to determine if their practices and policies align with law and their campus values.
4. Participants will engage in dialogue to identify culturally responsive practices that can help guide institutional strategy when addressing the complexities of freedom of expression on campus in postsecondary education.