On Thursday, April 13, the Cornell Republicans, the Cornell Review, and Cornell Political Union will be co-hosting a thought-provoking event on the topic, “How do we Protect Free Expression on Campus?” The event will feature Dr. Steven McGuire from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA).
Currently as the Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom at ACTA, McGuire has a wealth of experience in the development of political thought on First Amendment issues and free speech on college campuses.
McGuire received his Bachelors from the University of Lethbridge, and his Masters from the University of Saskatchewan. He received his Ph.D. from the Catholic University of America, where he was an Intercollegiate Studies Institute Richard M. Weaver Fellow and a Bradley Fellow.
He also served as an associate professor and the director of the Matthew J. Ryan Center for the Study of Free Institutions and the Public Good at Villanova University, before joining ACTA. McGuire was also a 2021 Lincoln Fellow at the conservative Claremont Institute.
Freedom of speech has been a contentious issue on college campuses across the United States, specifically at Cornell. This event is particularly timely in light of recent controversies on campus related to free speech. Last year, conservative commentator Ann Coulter‘s planned speech at Cornell was heckled by loud music, blowing whistles, and shouting by angry protestors. Many hecklers resonated with the letter to the editor in the Cornell Daily Sun, “Ann Coulter is not Welcome Here,” sparking a debate over free speech on campus.
Cornell is not the only institution with free speech woes. U.S. Circuit Court judge Kyle Duncan was also disrupted during a Federalist Society-sponsored event at Stanford Law School. According to Reuters, the Trump-appointed judge said that he was disturbed by the “deeply uncivil behavior” of the protesting students. Stanford’s president Marc Tessier-Lavigne and law Dean Jenny Martinez have since apologized to Duncan, saying, “what happened was inconsistent with our policies on free speech.” Dean Martinez later published a long letter explaining the Law School’s actions and outlining steps to prevent disruption going forward.
Earlier this year, Nico Perrino, the executive vice president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), also gave a speech on academic freedom at Myron Taylor Hall. Perrino drew on his own experiences of attending events where speakers were shut down by protests, and argued that allowing open conversations and debates is crucial for a college experience that values epistemic humility and free expression.
At the event, McGuire will be addressing the pressing issue of freedom of speech on campus and the challenges associated with protecting this fundamental right, and how it relates to current events and political developments. With his extensive background in political thought, he is sure to provide a fresh perspective on the issue.
The event will be held on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at 6:00 PM in Warren Hall 151. Registration is required to attend. Both in-person and online registration is available through the links here:
In-Person Registration: https://cglink.me/2ee/r2084983
Zoom Registration: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUldu2vqz8jHNMXmynF4JwVJcjXJ0dxGGnw
Correction: an earlier version of this article misstated the title of the event as “Protecting Free Speech on Campus.” Additionally, the promotional graphic misstated the date. Both errors have since been corrected.
