Johanna Alonso at Inside Higher Ed:
Outside of universities, some organizations and researchers have also begun looking into potential solutions to campus speech intolerance.
“Transforming Conflict on College Campuses,” a report published by the Aspen Institute’s Citizenship and Identity Program and the Constructive Dialogue Institute, identified strategies institutions can use to decrease campus free speech conflict—between students as well as those involving administrators, staff and surrounding community members. Among them: setting up low-stakes opportunities for members of the community to practice open dialogue and debate, such as in classrooms or staff meetings, where pressure to say the right thing isn’t as high as it might be at a formal event. The report also suggests that to best resolve campus conflicts, institutions should include as many stakeholders as possible in the decision-making process.
PEN America, a literary nonprofit that does work in campus free expression, aims to bring free speech solutions to campuses across the U.S. through Free Expression Student Summits that teach attendees skills to promote free expression. Organizers aim to connect with students by tying free expression back to things they might care about, such as art, book bans, media literacy and protest rights. The organization also offers Campus for All trainings that teach administrators, faculty and staff how to deal with “difficult dialogue” on campus.