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The �����鶹��ѿ� Committee on Free Expression reviewed a draft of its 2025 Free Expression Annual Report reaffirming that Arizona’s public universities are committed to protecting intellectual freedom and fostering a campus culture where varied viewpoints can be expressed lawfully and respectfully. The report will be reviewed by the board during its August 28 special board meeting before being submitted to state leadership as required by law.

The report underscores the board’s and universities’ zero-tolerance stance toward unlawful barriers to or impermissible disruptions of protected speech, while highlighting that all three universities — �����鶹��ѿ�State University, Northern �����鶹��ѿ�University and the University of �����鶹��ѿ�— continue to hold the highest “green light” rating from the (FIRE).

�����鶹��ѿ�is the only state in the U.S. where all of its four-year universities have achieved this designation. All three institutions have had a green-light rating since FIRE started the rankings five years ago. In FIRE’s , ASU ranked 14th, NAU 28th and U of A 25th nationally. These rankings reflect student perceptions of their ability to express opinions freely and the extent to which university administrations support that expression. 

Each university has adopted the “,” a widely respected articulation of free speech principles produced by the Committee on Free Expression at the University of Chicago. These policies are reinforced by ABOR’s Free Expression Policy which affirms that students, faculty and staff may engage in expressive activities so long as they do not materially disrupt university operations or infringe on the rights of others. 

Additionally, the report highlights how each university supports expressive activity. ASU facilitates both spontaneous and reserved speech in designated spaces, established a new Center for Free Speech and an annual free speech forum that began in spring 2025. NAU’s Speech Expression Action Knowledge (SpEAK) Team, composed of trained volunteers, provides support for events and protests while educating participants about the importance of First Amendment rights. The U of A has created a model in which content experts in each college are trained by the dean of students, who serves as the central support for all matters related to free expression and campus use. 

A highlight of the year was the 2025 Regents’ Cup, hosted at NAU, where students from all three universities competed in Oxford-style debate and persuasive storytelling. This year’s theme, “The Government and the People: The Social Contract,” challenged students to explore society’s evolving civic obligations through debate and storytelling. The U of A took home the top prize, with students from each university earning scholarships for their excellence in civil discourse. 

Chaired by ABOR Executive Director Chad Sampson, the Committee on Free Expression includes 15 members appointed by the university presidents, representing faculty, administrators and student leaders from ASU, NAU and the U of A.