The Council for Academic Freedom catalyzed a broad re-examination of assumptions dominating campus culture for over a decade. Among them was whether Harvard University administration should adopt institutional neutrality. On Monday, April 8, 2024, James Bryant Conant University Professor Danielle Allen, and Harvard Medical School Professor of Psychobiology, Bertha Madras, came together to share their…
At Harvard, there are research areas that can’t be investigated, subjects that can’t be broached in public, and ideas that can’t be discussed in a classroom. So say a group of Harvard professors, now more than 120 strong, who have formed a Council on Academic Freedom to respond to perceived assaults on free inquiry and…
On January 24, 2024, as part of the Intellectual Vitality Initiatives, Harvard College welcomed guest speakers from PEN America for a special professional development event for College staff and administrators. The day-long summit comprised of three workshops that aimed to help equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and insights needed to navigate issues related to…
On Thursday, February 22, 2024, Harvard College Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology Steven Pinker, and Harvard Kennedy School Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment (and Pforzheimer House Faculty Dean), Erica Chenoweth kicked off the first of the Books Open, Gates Unbarred dinner and dialogue series with the conversation on War: Violence and Nonviolence By…
On January 18-19, 2024, Harvard College and PEN America convened a group of student leaders from Harvard College and other Boston area, Ivy, and Ivy+ schools for our first-ever Intellectual Vitality and Free Expression Student Summit. As part of a commitment to open discourse on and off campus, the event aimed to foster discussions and…
Launching in Spring 2024, “Books Open, Gates Unbarred”, is a dinner and dialogue series so named as an allusion to the poem Seamus Heaney wrote for Harvard’s 350th anniversary. The series will consist of monthly dinners at the Faculty Club, where students will gather to hear two faculty discuss an issue of current concern and…
On Wednesday, February 7, 2024, students, administrators, and faculty involved with Intellectual Vitality were invited for dinner and dialogue at the home of Dean of Students, Tom Dunne. The focus of the dinner was to discuss the growth of Intellectual Vitality, through engaging in dialogue regarding future plans, and to gather input on how and…
About a week ago, Harvard announced its “Intellectual Vitality and Free Expression Student Summit,” which was co-hosted by PEN America, a non-profit dedicated to free expression. “Our hope is that through participating in this event,” the announcement stated, “you will feel more well versed in literacy on free expression issues… advocating for your rights… [and]…
Amid its high-profile struggle around free speech on campus, Harvard College invited PEN America to convene a Free Expression Summit on Friday for 100 student leaders from Harvard and other universities. Read more from Pen America…
On Thursday evening, the nonprofit held its “Free Expression Student Summit” at Harvard. Nearly 100 students participated in the two-day event, which began with a Thursday evening keynote panel titled “Combatting Censorship, Disinformation, and Hate” and continued into Friday, with workshops on cancel culture, protest rights, and academic freedom. The summit was the first public…
