SpeechMatters

• Building Campus Cultures for Constructive Dialogue

  What does it take to create a campus where open dialogue and inclusion thrive side by side? Guest host Alex Kappus talks with Caroline Mehl, the co-founder and executive director of the Constructive Dialogue Institute, about how higher education can model the kind of discourse democracy demands. Together they explore the social science behind constructive dialogue, what leaders can do to foster trust and why free expression remains essential to learning and civic life.Episode Resources: The Path Forward After Political Murder by Jonathan Haidt and Caroline Mehl, the Chronicle of Higher EducationHigher Education’s Role in a Polarized America by Alex Kappus, Carnegie BlogBuilding Cultures of Constructive Dialogue: A Blueprint for Campus Leaders

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• Trump 2.0: A Stress Test for the First Amendment

  In this episode, constitutional law scholar Timothy Zick joins us to discuss how President Trump’s second term is testing our commitments to free expression and academic freedom. From the chilling of faculty speech to the fraught intersection of the First and Second Amendments, Zick examines how executive overreach is placing the nation’s core democratic freedoms under unprecedented strain.Episode ResourcesThoughts on the First Substack Trump 2.0: Executive Power and the First Amendment“New Threats to Campus Protest”

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• “These Rights are Self-Evident, Not Self-Executing”

  For this special Constitution Day episode, SpeechMatters is joined by Dr. Colleen Shogan, the former Archivist of the United States, to reflect on the enduring legacy of America’s founding documents. From the urgent need for a national “civics renaissance” to the risks of political interference in how we teach history, the conversation offers powerful insights into what it means to safeguard our democratic ideals in an era of polarization, misinformation and rapid technological change.Episode Resources: America needs a civic education moonshot, before it’s too lateThe Declaration of Independence | National Archiveshttps://www.inpursuit.org/

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• Viewpoint Diversity in Higher Education

  Politicians, professors and pundits all seem to be talking about viewpoint diversity, and questioning whether it is a robust part of college and university life. But what does viewpoint diversity mean and how do we evaluate if it is alive and well on campus? Jon Shields, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, shares his take on why having a diversity of views in the classroom serves democracy and offers ideas for fostering a climate of open inquiry and intellectual pluralism.Episode Resources:"Closed Classrooms? An Analysis of College Syllabi on Contentious Issues," Working Paper Draft, July 10, 2025, with Yuval Avnur and Stephanie Muravchik"Liberal Professors Can Rescue the GOP," New York Times, 23 March 2023“I’m a Conservative Professor Who Opposed Safe Spaces. I was Wrong.” New York Times, 7 April 2022

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• VOICE Summer Series: The (Re)Writing Migration Stories Project

  In this episode, we explore a powerful VOICE project that uses art and dialogue to empower immigration-impacted communities to share their stories. Guests Dr. Laura Enriquez, Giovanna Itzel and Breana Figueroa Perez discuss their approach to fostering reflection, connection and understanding through "artivism." They explore how creative expression can bridge divides, challenge perceptions and ignite social change, and offer listeners inspiration to explore their own narratives. Episode Resources: 2025 VOICE Recipients — UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement(Re)writing Migration Stories — Undocumented Student Equity Project

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