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Penn's Jonathan Zimmerman to Present 'Censorship and Free Speech on College Campuses in the Age of Trump' Dec. 1

The University of Pennsylvania's Jonathan Zimmerman will Present 'Censorship and Free Speech on College Campuses in the Age of Trump' at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1 in Communications Facility 120.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

At a time when campuses around the country are facing questions about free speech in classrooms and on campuses, when students silence views with which they disagree, and hate speech threatens to produce violence, Zimmerman will help us think through how college campuses should think about free speech on campus. Drawing from his new co-authored book, "The Case for Contention: Teaching Controversial Issues in American Schools," Zimmerman will provide guidance for administrators, professors, students, citizens, and activists.

Topics to be discussed include:

  • When, if ever, should speech be limited?
  • How do universities respond to ideas that are rejected by scholars?
  • Are universities "free speech zones" or do they have an obligation to favor expert knowledge grounded in research?
  • How should universities respond to threats facing free speech on campuses today?

Zimmerman's talk is co-sponsored by the WWU President's Office, Provost's Office, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Karen W. Morse Institute for Leadership, the Ray Wolpow Institute for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes against Humanity, WWU Associated Students, and the History, Political Science, Secondary Education, and Sociology departments.