About Princetonians for Free Speech

Our Mission

Princetonians for Free Speech will restore freedom of speech, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity at Princeton University by establishing, educating and empowering a nonpartisan community of alumni to demand Princeton embrace these core values, while supporting faculty and students who join our cause.

Our Vision

At Princetonians for Free Speech, we envision a world where higher education fully and fearlessly embraces the principles of free speech, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity so students will graduate as well-rounded, critical thinkers who can become the leaders of tomorrow that our country needs.

Our Goals

Free Speech Rankings

Move Princeton to the top 25% in the FIRE speech rankings, including improving Princeton to a “green light” rating

Reduce the current  60+% student "fear"  to speak out on issues down to 25% 

Strengthen support for on-campus Free Speech groups 

Support student group events and initiatives that promote academic freedom and free speech

Assist in increasing membership in all groups

Make Free Speech a permanent part of Freshman orientation 

Achieve greater free speech content on campus (orientation, curriculum, etc.)

Have Princeton adopt the Kalven report, or equivalent policies

Empower alumni to communicate support for free speech to the Princeton administration

Accomplishing Our Goals

Read our letter to Princeton's trustee's here.

We work closely with faculty and student groups supporting free speech, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity. In September of 2022, we, along with a group of Princeton faculty and students in the Princeton Open Campus Coalition formed the Princeton Free Speech Union, the first formal group on any campus bringing together alumni, faculty, and students to support free speech. Keep reading...




As many universities take down their DEI websites, Princeton’s sites largely remain

February 20, 2025

Lia Opperman
Daily Princetonian

Excerpt: As some universities scrub diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) websites to comply with the Trump administration’s executive orders targeting diversity efforts, Princeton’s websites have largely remained up.

Norman Finkelstein GS ’87 returns to talk at Princeton, discusses Israel and Gaza

February 19, 2025

Luke Grippo 
Daily Princetonian 

Excerpt: Political scientist and activist Norman Finkelstein GS ’87 returned to campus on Tuesday to discuss the war in Gaza with history professor Max Weiss. Throughout the talk, Finkelstein addressed the United States’ history with the Middle East from the early 2000s, the United Nations’ complicated history with the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the war in Gaza.

Commentary: You (yes, you) are part of the classics conversation

February 19, 2025

Lily Halbert-Alexander
Daily Princetonian

Excerpt: Amid a national decline in study of the humanities, prestigious universities are cutting their entire classics departments. As a discipline, classics may seem to fly under the radar — classics majors comprised less than one percent of Princeton’s graduating Class of 2024. But over the last few years, classics has been the subject of charged conversations tying closely back to Princeton. This has sparked fundamental questions about what to do when books known as great and inspirational are called out for inspiring dangerous political movements.