Learn More About Speech Codes: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility

Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

Summary

Colleges and universities are free to encourage students to live up to aspirational standards such as respect and civility, but they may not require them to do so. 

Consult FIRE’s Model Speech Policies for College Campuses webpage to explore policies from various institutions in our Spotlight database that earn a “green light” rating in each category, including policies on tolerance, respect, and civility.

Common Mistakes

Conflicting language

Often, colleges will promise students freedom of expression but also require adherence to particular values that could be incompatible with that right, sometimes in the very same policy.

Mandatory nature

Institutions often maintain policies that state students are “expected” to demonstrate “respect,” “civility,” or other vaguely defined terms. Making violations subject to punishment is incompatible with the First Amendment.

Policy Examples

Red light

Haverford College: Haverford College Honor Code

Because we subscribe to these values, we commit as members of the Haverford community to follow the Honor Code. . . . In particular, we recognize that acts of discrimination, microaggression, and harassment, including, but not limited to, acts of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, ableism, tokenism, cultural insensitivity, discrimination based on citizenship status, discrimination based on religion, and discrimination based on national origin, accent, dialect, or usage of the English language are devoid of respect and therefore, by definition, violate this Code. Further, we commit to being actively anti-racist, not just passively “not racist.”

Yellow light

California State University - Fullerton: Standards for Student Conduct: Campus Community Values

Students are expected to be good citizens and to engage in responsible behaviors that reflect well upon their university, to be civil to one another and to others in the campus community, and contribute positively to student and university life.

Green light

University of Southern Mississippi: Southern Miss Standard

The Southern Miss Standard was developed to embody the values we hope residents possess. At the same time, the university is strongly committed to freedom of expression. Consequently, these principles do not constitute university policy and are not intended to interfere in any way with a resident’s personal freedoms. We hope, however, that residents will voluntarily endorse these common principles, thereby contributing to the traditions and scholarly heritage left by those who preceded them, and will thus leave Southern Miss a better place for those who follow.

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