PEN America director of higher education and free expression Kristen Shahverdian said campus free speech is being constrained not only by local controversies, but also by state laws and federal policies that affect what faculty and students can teach, learn, or even research. In the interview, Shahverdian framed free expression as essential to higher education’s core mission and to democracy. The broader governance debate is also being amplified by calls for “institutional neutrality,” with colleges facing pressure from speech advocacy groups, donor expectations, and government funding conditions. An AGB resource piece on the “institutional neutrality myth” argues that many administrators and trustees are being encouraged—sometimes compelled—to mute institutional viewpoints. Related trustee-focused guidance in another AGB commentary outlines how academic freedom and free speech disputes can force rapid leadership decisions, underscoring the legal and procedural boundaries trustees must weigh when controversial events surface.