Table of Contents
Lessons for First-Year Experience Programming
FIRE, in partnership with New York University’s First Amendment Watch, has developed this series of lessons for universities to utilize when teaching incoming students about their free speech rights and the principles behind the First Amendment.
Talking Across Differences
When entering college, you will meet others from all walks of life with different opinions, experiences, and backgrounds. This can be a difficult environment to adapt to so it is important to develop the ability to talk across differences. This skill will help you become more inquisitive and confident in your own knowledge.
Student Protests Then and Now
Learn about the history of student protests on campus and how activists throughout history laid the groundwork for today’s robust protections for student speech. By highlighting the role of university students in the Civil Rights Movement and in fighting McCarthy-era censorship, this lesson empowers you to be an active participant in your university community.
Campus Speakers and Counter Protests
When controversial speakers are invited to campus, students often have questions about why such speakers are allowed to have a platform and how to respond productively to speakers with whom they disagree. This lesson covers topics such as viewpoint neutrality in administrative decision-making, freedom of association for student groups, counter protests, and other methods of dissent.
Academic Freedom and Classroom Speech
This module covers the importance of academic freedom in higher education, the rights of faculty, and how you as a student can handle disagreements with your professors.
Three Arguments in Defense of Free Expression
As free speech continues to be a contentious issue on campus, this lesson reviews three key reasons why free expression is so crucial not only to campus life, but to our democracy as a whole. After examining the role debate and free expression play in the pursuit of knowledge, the harms of censorship, and the legitimacy of government, you will walk away with a clear overview of the philosophy behind the First Amendment.
Offensive Speech on Campus
Offensive speech is nearly unavoidable in diverse environments such as college campuses. With the help of video clips from Nadine Strossen, former president of the ACLU, this module teaches you ways to respond to offensive speech. Additionally, it teaches why the First Amendment protects “hate speech” and when offensive speech loses First Amendment protection.
Limits to Free Speech
Learn about when speech crosses the line and loses First Amendment protection. This lesson focuses primarily on defining and providing examples of freedom of speech limitations such as harassment, true threats, intimidation, and other unlawful conduct. With this knowledge, you can more accurately gauge when speech may be impermissible or may result in violations of others’ rights.
Social Media and Online Speech Rights
The online speech and social media posts of both students and faculty continue to be a growing source of controversy on campuses across the country. With this module, we introduce you to how the First Amendment applies to online speech, as well as how to respond productively to speech you may find distasteful without resorting to calls for censorship.
The Role of Student Publications on Campus
Whether they are recapping last night’s football game or investigating the latest community scandal, student journalists play an important role in your campus life. Learn about their basic rights and how to navigate speech-related student press issues.
