Book Talk with Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber: “Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right”

Event Details

Are colleges really failing on free speech — or are they doing better than the headlines suggest?

In Terms of Respect, constitutional scholar and Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber makes a compelling case that colleges and universities are largely getting it right. He joins us at The Westport Library for a conversation with WSHU Public Policy Reporter and Editor Molly Ingram, followed by a Q&A and book signing.

This event is part of an ongoing conversation. Join us November 17 for a panel discussion with Judge Daniel J. Klau, Emily Bazelon of the New York Times Magazine*, and Justin Silverman of the New England First Amendment Coalition as they explore the First Amendment and the forces shaping free expression in America today.*

About This Event

Today’s students engage in vigorous debate on sensitive topics and embrace both the opportunity to learn and the right to protest. Like past generations, they value free speech — but, like all of us, they sometimes misunderstand what it requires. In Terms of Respect, Eisgruber argues that the polarization visible on many campuses reflects a broader American civic crisis, not a failure unique to higher education. More importantly, he contends that colleges are uniquely positioned to model how free speech and the values of equality, diversity, and respect can coexist — and to show the rest of society how it’s done.

About the Book

In Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right, Eisgruber challenges the prevailing narrative that universities have lost their way on free expression. Today’s students, he argues, engage in vigorous discussions on sensitive topics and embrace both the opportunity to learn and the right to protest — much like past generations. The polarization and turmoil visible on many campuses, Eisgruber contends, reflect an American civic crisis that affects universities along with the rest of society. But rather than seeing colleges as part of the problem, he makes the case that they can be part of the solution: institutions that model how to embrace free speech without sacrificing the ideals of equality, diversity, and respect that define a healthy campus — and a healthy democracy.

About the Speakers

Christopher L. Eisgruber has served as Princeton University’s 20th president since 2013, following nine years as the University’s provost. A constitutional scholar and Rhodes Scholar, he received his A.B. in physics from Princeton, an M.Litt in politics from Oxford, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. He clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and taught at NYU School of Law for eleven years before joining the Princeton faculty in 2001.

As president, Eisgruber has been a leading national voice for research universities, liberal arts education, and the twin commitments to free speech and inclusivity. His work expanding access for low-income and first-generation students has drawn attention from the New York Times, the Washington Post, and 60 Minutes. He is a recipient of the U.S. Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and the National Institute of Social Sciences Gold Honor Medal. His previous books include Constitutional Self-Government, The Next Justice, and Religious Freedom and the Constitution. His next book, On Academic Freedom: A Vigorous Defense of the American University, will be published by the University of California Press in May 2027.

Molly Ingram is a public policy reporter and editor at WSHU Public Radio, covering the intersection of policy, civic life, and community across the region.