Nine months ago, the Black Student Union sent university administration a 12-point action plan in the hopes of elevating diversity initiatives that they believe are crucial to address. In response to these action items, President Daniele Struppa and Dean of Students Jerry Price recommended the creation of a Campus Expression Task Force to examine how the university can respond more effectively to combat hate speech.

After compiling the representatives’ thoughts and recommendations, this group created a document that will soon be shared with the entirety of the student body. Price told The Panther they are currently discussing when to share the findings with the rest of the campus. It intends to address the role of university statements in response to incidents and provide intentional and meaningful opportunities for forums and educational sessions on campus expression guidelines. 

Chapman’s Student Government Association (SGA) was tasked with recruiting students to the group, while Price worked with the Faculty Senate to appoint representatives. The final group consisted of 17 diverse representatives affiliated with various clubs and multicultural groups across campus — including LatinX, Chapman Feminists and the Queer Student Alliance — who met virtually from November to January in a series of six meetings. 

“We were mainly bringing in people who have been affected by free speech issues,” said Philip Goodrich, president of student government. “We tried to prioritize them, and I think we were able to do that.”

In addition to these representatives, LaNita Gregory Campbell, the director of the Office of Racial and Cultural Engagement at Emory University, offered an unbiased perspective to the task force. Price said Campbell was the perfect candidate because she is well-informed on issues of diversity, a resident of Southern California and works at a private institution with similar regulations to Chapman.

During the six meetings, the representatives were split into breakout rooms in which they familiarized themselves with principles of free speech and different laws and policies that Chapman has to abide by as a private institution in California. The team also brainstormed actions that the university can take in response to hate speech on campus.

“We discussed every nuance and every facet of the complexities of free speech,” said Joy Joukhadar, the social chair of Chapman Democrats. “As a private institution, we have a lot more leeway when it comes to what people can say, but that's not always a good thing because sometimes people can say something completely offbeat and offensive.”

Typically, a task force has finite terms, so the Campus Expression Task Force will not exist past its duty of devising recommendations. Goodrich said it can always be called to creation again, but as of now, the members of this specific task force will not continue meeting.

“This task force is essentially a starting point for things to consider,” Price said. “As we make adjustments and climates change, we certainly expect that this would be revised.”

The task force’s recommendations aim to craft an inclusive community for students in which they understand the value of free speech, but also protect people from the negative consequences it can bring.

“The best way to fight speech is with more speech,” Joukhadar said. “We want to protect people’s voices while also making sure people feel comfortable so that Chapman can become a place of discussion and thought.”