Arizona State University is establishing a new Center for Free Speech to encourage the uninhibited exchange of ideas, and the university will launch an annual free speech forum that will begin in spring 2025.
With students from all 50 states and more than 150 countries, ASU’s students, alumni, faculty, staff and visitors come from virtually every background and walk of life, and hold a wide variety of beliefs and opinions.
“Universities have an important role to play in free speech, and ASU has a responsibility to lead in bringing people together around this shared value,” ASU President Michael Crow said. “We intend to help advance the collective understanding about what freedom of speech means within the context of a democratic society.”
ASU welcomes, practices and studies free speech in what Crow calls “a vibrant and active community of thinkers and learners.” The university has a long-standing commitment to free speech, a fundamental right defined by the United States Constitution in the First Amendment and a foundational principle of American democracy.
ASU was just recognized as a top school for free speech by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and College Pulse in the latest College Free Speech Rankings.
The university ranked 14th among the top 25 schools, ahead of the University of Chicago, Duke University and Purdue University. The largest report of its kind, the rankings draw from more than 58,000 student responses representing more than 250 colleges and universities nationwide. The survey was fielded from Jan. 25 through June 17, 2024.
Photo by Samantha Chow/ASU
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