Media Advisory: College of Humanities Perspectives Series will spotlight free speech on college campuses

April 20, 2022

Media Advisory: College of Humanities Perspectives Series will spotlight free speech on college campuses

What: The inaugural University of Arizona College of Humanities Perspectives Series will feature a panel of speakers discussing free speech on college campuses.
When: Tuesday, April 26, 6 p.m. (EDT) / 3 p.m. (PT)
Where: National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.
Livestream: humanities.arizona.edu/live
RSVP: Media who wish to attend in person should email Eric Swedlund, ericswedlund@arizona.edu.

TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona College of Humanities will host its inaugural Perspectives Series event, spotlighting the topic of free speech on college campuses, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

The Perspectives Series will provide an in-depth and multifaceted discussion of the questions "How Free is Speech on Campus, and Does it Matter?"

The speakers bring diverse perspectives from both in and outside higher education and from across the political spectrum. They are:

Jeff Chang, senior adviser to Race Forward, a national policy and movement-building nonprofit organization focused on racial justice
Michelle Deutchman, executive director of the University of California's National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement
William Kristol, a journalist, commentator and founder of The Weekly Standard

The event will be moderated by Keith Allred, executive director of the University of Arizona's National Institute for Civil Discourse, a strategic initiative and resource bank based in Washington, D.C., and focused on rebuilding civil discourse in American political life.

"What are the unique ways the humanities can inform this conversation around free speech on college campuses? This is often framed around legal or political arguments, but the humanities perspective is an intriguing and distinct one that can bring new knowledge and understanding to the topic," said Alain-Philippe Durand, Dorrance Dean of the College of Humanities. "Our hope is this connects to bigger questions about the ways people interact within a culture and how we overcome differences."

The Perspectives Series is the cornerstone event in the College of Humanities' Fearless Inquiries Project, an ongoing flagship effort aimed at catalyzing a national culture that prizes open discussion, independent judgement and the questioning of stubborn assumptions. The project is supported by a gift commitment of $5.4 million from UArizona alumni Jacquelynn and Bennett Dorrance to endow the deanship of the College of Humanities.

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Media contact:
Eric Swedlund
College of Humanities
520-626-7160
ericswedlund@arizona.edu

The University of Arizona, a land-grant university with two independently accredited medical schools, is one of the nation's top 50 public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report. Established in 1885, the university is widely recognized as a student-centric university and has been designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. The university ranked in the top 20 in 2020 in research expenditures among all public universities, according to the National Science Foundation, and is a leading Research 1 institution with $761 million in annual research expenditures. The university advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships as a member of the Association of American Universities, the 66 leading public and private research universities in the U.S. It benefits the state with an estimated economic impact of $4.1 billion annually. For the latest on the University of Arizona response to the novel coronavirus, visit the university's COVID-19 webpage.

The University of Arizona Land Acknowledgement