PEN America Colloquium Sparks Dialogue on Campus Free Expression

Students come together to learn and share strategies for connecting over common ground

A group of roughly 20 Washington College students gathered on campus over fall break for the PEN America Student Colloquium, a unique opportunity to delve into the complexities of free expression in higher education. Coordinated by the Cromwell Center for Teaching and Learning, the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, the office of Student Engagement, and the Holstein Program in Ethics, the colloquium provided students with tools, strategies, and understanding necessary to foster open dialogue and respect for diverse perspectives across campus. Facilitator Lara Schwartz, author of Try to Love the Questions: From Debate to Dialogue in Classrooms and Life, guided participants as they delved into the complexities of academic freedom, exploring theoretical scenarios and discussing strategies for productive conversation.  

Washington College has worked with PEN America previously, in 2023, for a day of workshops for faculty within PEN's Campus for All Programming. Following positive reception from attendees at last year’s event, this student colloquium was organized in response to the growing importance of open dialogue and respect for diverse viewpoints on college campuses nationwide. As students navigate increasingly complex social and political issues, it is essential that they have the skills to engage in respectful and productive conversations with those who hold different beliefs. Participating students learned techniques for depolarizing questions, identifying common ground, and engaging in respectful dialogue across differences. 

"We wanted to create a space where students could explore the boundaries of free expression and learn how to engage in meaningful dialogue with those who hold different perspectives," said Sean Meehan, professor of English and co-director of the Cromwell Center for Teaching and Learning. "By providing them with tools and strategies for productive conversation, we hope to empower them to become advocates for free expression on our campus." 

The program provided workshops and other educational supports that are rooted in the PEN Principles, namely, that for a campus to be open to all ideas, it must be genuinely open to all people, including those from less traditional backgrounds and those from previously excluded groups.  

Sessions included: 

• Conceptual Foundations of Free Speech & Academic Freedom: Participants explored the historical and philosophical underpinnings of free speech and academic freedom. 

• Dialogue Tools and Practice: Students learned practical strategies for engaging in productive conversations, such as active listening, empathy, and reframing. 

• Academic Freedom and Dialogue Tools in Practice: Disagree with a Professor: Participants discussed real-world scenarios where academic freedom and free speech might be challenged. 

• Great Presentations 101: Students learned how to develop effective presentations on the topics of free expression and dialogue. 

Miranda Parrish '25 found the two-day event helpful for engaging across campus and in her professional life. "The workshops and opportunities for collaboration were interesting and informative," she said. "There were some concepts that were unfamiliar to me but were taught really well. Many were backed by examples of legislation and law which tied in historical references and debates into modern discussions on freedom of expression. Understanding your rights regarding freedom of expression and the tools to ensure a safe and meaningful opportunity to learn and express yourself are important for all students to know and use.” 

The Washington College colloquium was the first of its kind that PEN America has offered to colleges and universities. To help spread these tools and strategies across campus, students who attended are developing presentations that they will share with first-year students in various courses, applying the lessons learned to real-world scenarios and promoting respectful dialogue among their peers.  

 Kristen Shahverdian, PEN America's Campus Free Speech Director, championed the two-day event’s results. "Our hope in putting this program together was to help students understand that academic freedom and free expression make it possible for us to share our perspectives and learn from one another," she said.  

Patrick Nugent, Thomas V. Mike Miller Director of Civic Engagement, was also impressed with the level of engagement among students and the plans for sharing those lessons learned across campus. "We want to encourage students to bravely voice their values, while also being curious and open enough to hear, question, and reflect upon ideas that may range far afield from their own," he said. "The PEN America colloquium and the First Year Program presentations to follow will help us foster this spirit, giving our students the tools and spaces to create ever more open, inclusive, and rigorous conversations at Washington College." 

- Dominique Ellis Falcon