Higher Ed Law – Part One:
Free Speech, Campus Expression, and Institutional Response
Course ID: SA107
Title: Higher Ed Law – Part One: Free Speech, Campus Expression, and Institutional Response
Facilitators: Dr. Tara K. Shollenberger & Dr. Jordan Widelock
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This four-part webinar series introduces student affairs professionals to the legal issues most likely to shape their daily work with students, families, student organizations, campus partners, and institutional leaders. Grounded in Higher Education Law: A Practitioner's Guide, the series translates complex legal principles into practical frameworks for campus decision-making. Each session is designed to help participants recognize common legal risks, ask better questions, and respond to student affairs scenarios with greater confidence and clarity.
Each session in this series is priced at $75. But you can take advantage of our volume discount by registering for more than one at one time. Save 10% on two items, 15% on three, and 20% on all four.
↠ Part 1: Free Speech, Campus Expression, and Institutional Response
Part 2: Due Process, Student Conduct, and Decision-Making (Tuesday, Nov. 17) [SA108]
Part 3: Student Privacy, Information Sharing, and Campus Safety (Tuesday, Jan. 19) [SA109]
Part 4: Disability, Accommodations, and Student Well-Being (Tuesday, Feb. 16) [SA110]
OVERVIEW
The First Amendment governs nearly every dimension of campus life. This webinar introduces the foundational principles of First Amendment law as they apply to colleges and universities, with direct attention to the situations practitioners face most often.
Participants will examine forum doctrine, viewpoint neutrality, and the legal limits of time, place, and manner restrictions. The session also addresses social media, student organizations, protests, speaker events, and the tension between free expression and campus safety.
BRIEF OUTLINE
- The First Amendment in higher education: public vs. private institutions
- Forum doctrine and campus spaces, including online environments
- Viewpoint neutrality, content-based restrictions, and content-neutral restrictions
- Time, place, and manner restrictions
- Student organizations, social media, demonstrations, and speaker events
- Hate speech, threats, and true threats doctrine
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Distinguish between the First Amendment obligations of public and private institutions.
- Apply forum doctrine to common campus spaces and virtual environments.
- Evaluate proposed speech restrictions using viewpoint-neutral and content-neutral principles.
- Identify when protected speech may still be addressed through non-punitive institutional responses.
- Use a practical decision-making framework for campus speech controversies.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Student affairs professionals in their first one to seven years of practice, including residence life staff, student activities and campus engagement professionals, dean of students office staff, student conduct officers, and campus event coordinators. This session is also appropriate for new Title IX coordinators and student organization advisors.
Dr. Tara K. Shollenberger is an Assistant Professor of Educational Studies at High Point University, where she teaches higher education law at the doctoral level, and co-author of Higher Education Law: A Practitioner's Guide (Kendall Hunt, 2024). She brings more than 20 years of higher education experience to this work, including her last role as Assistant Vice President for Student Life. She is an active scholar and presenter, with peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations at ASCA, NASPA, and NABITA. Dr. Shollenberger serves on the NABITA Advisory Board and consults with institutions on student conduct, threat assessment, and Title IX policy and compliance.
Dr. Jordan Widelock is an Assistant Professor and Chair of the Educator Preparation Department in the Stout School of Education at High Point University. A former teacher, instructional coach, and school administrator, he brings a practitioner's lens to questions of education law, policy, leadership, and institutional decision-making. He holds both a J.D. and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and is co-author of Higher Education Law: A Practitioner's Guide (Kendall Hunt, 2024). His scholarship and authored work examine legal and policy issues affecting schools, universities, educators, and students, including institutional liability, duty of care, student rights, and the legal responsibilities of educational institutions. His work focuses on helping educators and campus leaders understand complex legal issues in ways that are practical, accessible, and grounded in real institutional contexts.
» See also Higher Ed Law Series Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4
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