SpeechMatters

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 Tracker NADOHE Legislation Resources NADOHE Communication Gui...

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 inform...

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...

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 b...

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...

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 Am...

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...

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 prot...

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 .&...

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 Techno...

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. Epi...

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 Articl...

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: Internationa...

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 &nbs...

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...

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 r...

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 Cen...

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.