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March 24, 2009
At this year's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), FIRE Co-founder Alan Charles Kors gave a presentation entitled "Higher Education and the Loss of Liberty." During his speech, Kors said, "Speech codes are inherently illiberal but they become insufferable by virtue of their intended double standards in practice, without which they could not last for one second." He counted numerous FIRE cases over the past several years where this happened, and he described FIRE's "Red Alert" list of the institutions which have displayed a severe and ongoing disregard for the fundamental rights of their students or faculty members: Michigan State University, Colorado College, Brandeis University, Tufts University, and Johns Hopkins University.
March 12, 2009
FIRE's Adam Kissel went on a tour of the University of Wisconsin system to speak to students and faculty about due process and the proposed changes to Chapters UWS 17 and 18 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.
February 20, 2009
This week's episode of FIREside Chats features part one of Adam Kissel's lecture at Binghamton University last week. "Liberty in Peril: Speech Codes on our Nation's College Campuses" discusses speech codes nationwide and the recent events at BU involving Andre Massena and the Department of Social Work. Check back next week for part two of Adam's speech.
January 12, 2009
The second season of FIRE's podcasting series, FIREside Chats, kicks off with Samantha Harris' December 26 interview on NewsTalk 680 WPTF in Raleigh, North Carolina. Samantha is FIRE's Director of Speech Code Research. During the interview, Samantha discusses speech codes in the North Carolina University system, FIRE's Spotlight on Speech Codes Report, and the incident that recently occurred in the Free Expression Tunnel at North Carolina State, where racist remarks about President-elect Obama were spray painted.
December 8, 2008
In today's episode of FIREside Chats, Adam Kissel, Director of FIRE's Individual Rights Defense Program is joined by Kara Spencer, the MSU student government leader who faces suspension for "spam" after she e-mailed about 8 percent of the school's faculty members, encouraging them to express their views about changes to the freshman orientation and academic calendars.
November 10, 2008
Last Thursday, FIRE's press release described our latest victory for freedom of expression at Temple College (Texas), where the school's president quickly reversed the censorship of a religiously themed cartoon and the Nietzsche quotation "God is dead" after a letter from FIRE. In today's episode of FIREside Chats, Adam Kissel, director of FIRE's Individual Rights Defense Program, discusses this case in further detail and calls on administrators at Lake Superior State University and Lone Star College–Tomball to follow Temple's lead by undoing the censorship of controversial posted materials on campus.
September 22, 2008
Last week, FIRE was thrilled to announce that after months of pressure, Valdosta State University (VSU) revoked its unconstitutional free speech zone policy and restored free expression to VSU's campus. In today's episode of FIRE's podcasting series, FIREside Chats, Will Creeley and Robert Shibley discuss the events that led to this victory and the removal of VSU from FIRE's Red Alert list. The four schools that remain on this list should take a lesson from VSU, give back the essential rights they have abridged, and enjoy the restoration of their good names.
September 2, 2008
This week's FIREside Chats podcast features Campus Freedom Network (CFN) Director Luke Sheahan and CFN Program Associate Brandon Stewart discussing the exciting back-to-school incentive program that was launched yesterday. As stated in the press release and in Luke's blog, the CFN will reward students who recruit new members, publish op-eds about FIRE cases and issues, host FIRE speakers, or engage in other activities that advance the cause of free speech on campus. To learn more about the program, listen to the complete podcast here or visit the CFN's website for more details.
August 22, 2008
Adam Kissel, Director of FIRE's Individual Rights Defense Program, recently attended the Association of Big Ten Students Summer Conference, where he spoke to representatives from student governments about what they can do to protect and promote rights to freedom of speech, freedom of association, and due process. Listen to part one of Adam's presentation in today's episode of our podcast series, FIREside Chats, and tune in next week for our Back to School special, when we will be covering ways for students to fight abuses of power on campuses across the country.
August 4, 2008
Students at the 2008 Campus Freedom Network Conference had the privilege of hearing columnist John Leo give the opening address on June 26. He gave an amusing overview of some of the most ridiculous speech codes on university and college campuses and discussed how these codes are unconstitutional and can be overturned with the efforts of students and faculty. In this episode of FIREside Chats, we have compiled some of the highlights of Leo's presentation. A longtime champion of free speech on college campuses, Leo is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, contributing editor to City Journal, and editor of Minding the Campus. His syndicated column was carried in U.S. News & World Report and 140 other newspapers for 17 years. He also has served as a writer and editor for numerous publications, including Time magazine, The New York Times, Commonweal, Trans-Action (now Society), and the Village Voice. Leo has authored three books, including Incorrect Thoughts: Notes on Our Wayward Culture and Two Steps ahead of the Thought Police.
July 28, 2008
The latest episode of our podcasting series, FIREside Chats, concludes Director of Spotlight Samantha Harris's presentation at the Campus Freedom Network conference. In today's podcast, Samantha explains speech codes and how administrators create and enforce these codes in an attempt to prohibit free speech and free expression on college campuses. FIRE has made exposing and reforming speech codes a priority and each month, we feature a college or university with a particularly egregious speech code as our Speech Code of the Month. To listen to the entire podcast, please click here and stay tuned each Monday for new episodes of FIREside Chats. If you have an idea or a request for a topic you would like discussed in a future episode, feel free to send an email to erin@thefire.org.
July 21, 2008
Today's episode of FIREside Chats features FIRE's Spotlight Director, Samantha Harris, explaining what constitutes as unprotected speech. At the Campus Freedom Network Conference back in June, Samantha talked to students on how administrators often blur the lines between constitutionally protected speech and unprotected forms of expression in order to enforce speech codes. Check back next week for the final part of Samantha's presentation.
July 14, 2008
Today's episode of FIREside Chats (FIRE's weekly podcasting program) concludes Harvey Silverglate's presentation at the 2008 Campus Freedom Network Conference, which FIRE hosted last month. Harvey spoke about how FIRE has been successful at changing stifling campus speech policies and defending students and faculty whose rights have been infringed—but also said that a lot of work is still needed to change the culture of the university back to a place where no idea is silenced or punished. To learn ways in which you promote change at your college or university, listen to the complete podcast here and stay tuned for more audio from the CFN Conference.
July 7, 2008
Last month, during FIRE's first annual Campus Freedom Network Conference, students from around the country had the opportunity to listen to prominent First Amendment advocates discuss campus rights and academic freedom. During the first session on June 27, FIRE co-founder Harvey Silverglate gave an in-depth presentation on FIRE's history and successes. As the tenth anniversary of FIRE approaches, Harvey called for students to restore the culture of the American university to a truly free marketplace of ideas. Listen to the first half of Harvey's speech here and stay tuned for more podcasts from FIRE's CFN Conference.
June 23, 2008
Last week, FIRE's summer interns had the privilege of hearing Michael Meyers, president and executive director of the New York Civil Rights Coalition, discuss his background in civil liberties and urban affairs and his views regarding the state of higher education today. Meyers has spent his entire professional career working in the fields of civil rights, civil liberties, law, housing, education, and urban affairs, and, as such, is regarded as a leading intellectual and expert on civil rights and race matters. Born in Harlem, New York, he attended public schools in New York City, then Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he took his bachelor's degree, and later Rutgers University, where he earned his J.D. degree. He is an experienced public speaker who has appeared on television programs such as The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour, Charlie Rose, America's Black Forum, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and The Today Show.
June 18, 2008
On June 15-16, FIRE's Adam Kissel attended an international conference on How Free is the University? in Los Angeles, CA, which was keynoted by Victor Davis Hanson. On June 15, Adam spoke on the panel "Indoctrination: When does professorial opinion cross the line from personal conviction into propaganda?" The panel discussed indoctrination, ideology, and intimidation in the university setting. Adam's talk centered around the University of Delaware's Residence Life program, which FIRE has been monitoring closely while ResLife has been preparing a new version of the program for 2008-2009.
June 16, 2008
In this episode of FIREside Chats, we bring you the May 29th broadcast of Adam Kissel's appearance on the Cam & Co radio program on NRA News, discussing FIRE's case at Tarrant County College.
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