The new roles will consolidate free expression–related responsibilities—such as crafting speech policies, training faculty in de-escalation tactics and coordinating with law enforcement.
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Two public universities—the University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Santa Cruz—are each hiring a student affairs professional whose job will focus entirely on student speech and free expression.
The job postings follow a surge of protest activity on American college campuses—including clashes between student protesters and police at both UT Austin and UC Santa Cruz—and the ensuing avalanche of lawsuits from students, alumni and others who were arrested or disciplined after participating in campus protests. Based on the job descriptions, the new positions will consolidate into one role a variety of free expression–related responsibilities—such as crafting speech policies, training faculty in de-escalation tactics, monitoring protests and coordinating with law enforcement. Whether the new staff members will safeguard students’ rights to free expression or work to censor them will depend entirely on how the role is deployed, experts said.
