I write on behalf of Michelle Deutchman, executive director for the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement, to make you aware of a webinar series for UC faculty and staff that is occurring right now. Upcoming webinars address first amendment issues,Title VI and academic freedom. The Academic Freedom event is scheduled for March 11 and will feature UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman and UC Academic Senate Chair James Steintrager. The remaining events are listed below.
You can find more information and register at: https://freespeechcenter.
Best regards,
Lori
Lori Kletzer
Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Exploring First Amendment Principles and Campus Expression
February 26, 2pm-3pm PT
Need a refresher on those First Amendment basics? Join this workshop to review what speech is protected by the First Amendment and what is not; forum analysis; time, place and manner regulations and protests/disruption/heckler’s veto. Explore best practices for responding to hateful speech that cannot be prohibited but negatively impacts campus climate.
Featuring: Michelle Deutchman, Executive Director, UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement and Elisabeth Yap, Senior Principal Counsel, Education Affairs, UC Legal, University of California Office of the President
February 27, 2pm-3pm PT
The federal Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights recently has opened multiple investigations under Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, including based on allegations of antisemitic and anti-Muslim discrimination or harassment. We will discuss the agency’s positions and guidance as well as University policy regarding responding to allegations of a hostile environment while safeguarding expression.
Featuring: Joshua Meltzer, Principal Counsel, Education Affairs, UC Legal and Sonya Sanchez, Senior Principal Counsel, Education Affairs and Governance, UC Legal — University of California Office of the President
March 11, 1pm-2pm PT
Much has been made of the unrelenting attacks on academic freedom from legislatures across the country, but do we really understand what academic freedom is, and how it is distinct from freedom of speech? What does it protect and why is it important to higher education and democracy? This workshop will cover these questions as well as explore how our communities can uphold this critical UC principle.
Featuring: Howard Gillman, Chancellor, UC Irvine and James Steintrager, 2023-2024 UC Academic Senate Chair, Professor of English, Comparative Literature and European Languages and Studies, UC Irvine
