Censorship in Higher Education: A PEN America Perspective: Changing Higher Ed® podcast 241 with h...

January 7, 2025 ·

Episode 241

Censorship in Higher Education: A PEN America Perspective


34 Min
·
By The Change Leader, Inc.


PEN America examines threats to academic freedom in higher ed, from DEI bans to political pressure and how universities can protect autonomy.




Exploring Academic Censorship and Its Impact on Free Speech in Universities
The battle for control of American higher education is intensifying, with universities and their governing boards (changinghigher...) caught between protecting academic freedom and responding to unprecedented political pressure. This episode of Changing Higher Ed® podcast features Dr. Jeremy Young of PEN America, discussing the organization’s efforts to combat censorship in higher education. PEN America’s “Freedom to Learn” program (pen.org/the-fr...) actively opposes state legislative attempts to restrict academic freedom and free speech on college campuses. The interview highlights concerning trends like “educational gag orders (pen.org/report...) ,” “jawboning, (knightcolumbia...) ” and DEI bans in various states (www.chronicle....) , emphasizing the threat these actions pose to intellectual discourse and institutional autonomy.
Young advocates for universities to prioritize protecting free expression, even amidst political pressure, suggesting strategic approaches for presidents and boards (changinghigher...) to navigate these challenges. The discussion also covers PEN America’s annual report, “America’s Censored Classrooms 2024 (pen.org/report...) ,” which tracks these legislative trends.
Podcast Overview
PEN America’s Mission and Background

• PEN America is a 100-year-old organization focused on defending the freedoms of writers, including academic freedom and freedom of expression.

• Originally stood for Poets, Essayists, and Novelists but now just “PEN” to be more inclusive of all writers.

• PEN International has over 140 PEN centers worldwide.

• PEN America’s activities include awards, literary festivals, global writer protection, advocacy against book bans, free speech advocacy, and higher ed advocacy (Freedom to Learn program).

• PEN America is described as “center-left,” maintaining relationships with organizations across the political spectrum.

The Threat to Academic Freedom and Free Speech

• There’s a growing movement to constrict the space of ideas available to students on college campuses.

• The argument often made is that universities lean left, and the solution is to limit existing voices, not to add more conservative perspectives.

• This trend manifests in attempts to ban courses, curricula, and harass administrators.

• The “solution to speech is more speech,” and increased voices are beneficial.

Book Banning and the Underlying Agenda

• Book banning often involves claims of obscenity but is ultimately an attempt to constrain ideas, not to protect children from inappropriate material.

• Analysis of banned books reveals they disproportionately feature minoritized identities, including LGBTQ, race, and sexual violence.

• Those who want to ban these books view them as encouraging those types of identities.

• PEN believes people need to see themselves reflected in books and that banning them is an attempt to cut off viewpoints for students.

“America’s Censored Classrooms 2024” Report

• An annual report tracking legislation that censors colleges and universities.

• Tracks “educational gag orders” that censor topics/ideas and restrictions on university autonomy (DEI offices, curriculum, accreditation standards, tenure, governance).

• Focuses on trends in proposed and passed legislation and predictions for the future.

Jawboning as a Form of Censorship

• Jawboning refers to lawmakers threatening or bullying university presidents into actions they want without passing laws.

• This includes pressuring universities to close DEI offices or eliminate certain programs.

• It is a stealthy approach as there are no democratic elements, no hearings for public comment, and no laws in place to challenge.

• It creates a diff...