UW System Student Views on Freedom of Speech

UW System President releases free speech survey results

University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman discussed results of the survey on free speech at a news conference Wednesday, Feb. 1, at UW Oshkosh. More than 10,000 students from across the UW System responded to the survey sent out last fall.

Rothman was joined by Eric Giordano, executive director of the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, which oversaw the survey. Rothman released findings via Twitter, @JayORothman, on Feb. 1.

After the news conference, Rothman moderated a panel discussion about free speech and civil dialogue featuring faculty and research experts and two state lawmakers. They were:

  • Franciska A. Coleman, assistant professor of law and associate director of the East Asian Legal Studies Center, UW-Madison
  • Eric Giordano, executive director, Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service
  • David Murphy, R-Greenville, chair, Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities
  • Ryan Owens, George C. and Carmella P. Edwards professor of American Politics and Leon Epstein Faculty Fellow, UW-Madison
  • Kelda Roys, D-Madison, member, Senate Committee on Universities and Revenue

Coleman and Owens served on the advisory panel for the speech survey.

To view the full report, click here. You can watch a recording of the press conference and panel discussion at wiseye.org.