As American citizens, one of the fundamental rights we are allowed is that of the freedom of speech. Throughout the course of history, the limitation of freedom of speech and expression appears as a common method utilized from all-controlling governmental bodies. From Nazi Germany, to various dictatorial nations during the recent Arab Spring, powers have restricted speech to put their citizens in a chokehold. In the United States, we take our freedom of expression for granted. For we have never faced an oppression of our speech on the level of other countries throughout history. Yet on our college campuses, institutions meant to harbor a variety of ideas and reflect American values, the freedom to express your thoughts and opinions is being actively restricted by a variety of parties. This is an issue that must be addressed promptly, and the most impactful way universities could do so is by putting an emphasis on presenting speakers, and supporting groups that reflect a great variety of opinions and backgrounds alike, while educating all their students on the value of free speech. American universities also should support the right of anyone to protest a speaker or group on campus, but any individual working to shut down a speaker needs to face consequences. 

America truly began to take notice to freedom of speech on its campuses during the Free Speech Movement (FSM) of the 1960s which was fronted by students of UC Berkeley (Freeman). The movement saw students protesting to lift bans on political activity on college grounds (Freeman). The movement set precedent in giving more power to students to speak freely about politically charged subjects at universities (Freeman). Since the FSM, there have been multiple incidents of students challenging their rights to speech on campus, but according to Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a new wave of challenges to speech on campus saw a resurgence in 2013. He says a speech from NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly in October of 2013 being shut down by students marked the beginning of a time in which it was not just college administrators challenging freedom of speech, but students as well (Lukianoff). According to a 2016 Gallup survey of college students, 54 percent of students felt they could not say something they believe on campus due to the fear it may appear offensive to someone else, 24 percent believed media should not be allowed to cover their protests, and 69 percent believed their college administrators should enact policies against offensive speech (Capuzzi Simon). In modern America, students are now reversing the progress made in the 20th century which gave them a widened amount of speech rights on their campuses, and together with college administrators, are damaging the American university’s role as a foster for ideas and opinions. 

While many Americans would assume that the issue of the state of freedom of speech on college campuses is an isolated affair that only college students and employees should have to worry about, this is not the case. While university students and faculty are the primary players in regards to this issue, it expands much further. The media, scholars, and politicians all have a huge interest in the debate over freedom of speech on campus,  for one simply because the topic is a multi sided argument with no black and white sides. The debate has also caught their attention because it has demonstrated its ability to divide students, result in the firing of college administrators, and even ignite violent riots on campuses. The limited state of free speech on campus truly has the capability to affect all of America though. The ideas about freedom of speech that today’s college students show in their schools are reflective of what we can expect to see present in tomorrow’s lawyers, journalists, and politicians. Individuals in positions to directly influence ideas about freedom of speech on a national level.

Freedom of speech on American campuses is absolutely critical to students’ academic development throughout their years at their college. In order to protect students’ rights to freedom of expression across the country, the best course of action would be to adopt legislation that prohibits anyone from infringing on these rights. In June of this year, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed a bill called the Campus Free Speech Act (Martin). The act makes multiple moves in the right direction to protect free speech on campuses. For one, the bill protects speakers’ rights to deliver their message on any University of Wisconsin schools, stating that any speaker formally invited by students or faculty are allowed to speak on campus, and that all public areas on campus are to be public forums open to any speaker. The Campus Free Speech Act also enforces students’ rights to protest any speaker at their university, but with a key limitation. It states: 

“any person lawfully present on campus may protest or demonstrate there. This statement shall make clear that protests and demonstrations that interfere with the rights of others to engage in or listen to expressive activity shall not be permitted and shall be subject to sanction.”

The mention of demonstrations that interfere with others’ rights leads into the most important section of the bill, the described disciplinary actions that must be taken if a student infringes on another's’ right to free speech. The bill calls for any student who is found to have interfered with another’s freedom of expression twice to be suspended for a semester or expelled. I believe the best course of action for America to protect freedom of speech on its university grounds is for the federal government to take time to observe the effects of The Campus Free Speech Act in Wisconsin, and then create a similar bill with any necessary adjustments that applies to the entire country. 

 