Student Handbook: College Policies, Regulations, and Procedures

Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: August 22, 2016

College policy was written with the understanding that students would take on the following responsibilities: … To treat all members of the College community in a civil and respectful manner.

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Student Handbook: Harassment/Discrimination Policy

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 22, 2016

Harassment

Harassment is unwelcome, hostile, or inappropriate conduct directed toward an individual because of his or her protected status. Such conduct violates College policy if it (1) has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working, living, or learning environment for the affected individual, or (2) substantially interferes with that individual’s working, living, or learning environment. This can include persistent comments or jokes about an individual’s religion, race, age, or gender; verbal behavior, including insults, remarks, epithets, or derogatory statements directed at an individual or group; nonverbal behavior, including graffiti, inappropriate physical advances short of physical violence; and assault, including physical violence or the threat of physical violence.

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2015-2016 GENDER-BASED MISCONDUCT POLICY

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 22, 2016

Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome, sexually based verbal, written, visual, or physical conduct.

Sexual harassment creates a hostile environment, and may be disciplined when it is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it:

• has the effect of unreasonably interfering with, denying, or limiting employment opportunities or the ability to participate in or benefit from the College’s educational, social, and/or residential program; and/or is
• based on power differentials (quid pro quo), the creation of a hostile environment, or retaliation.

Gender-Based Harassment: Acts of verbal, nonverbal, or physical aggression, intimidation, stalking, or hostility based on gender or gender stereotyping constitute gender-based harassment. Gender-based harassment can occur if persons are harassed either for exhibiting what is perceived as a stereotypical characteristic for their sex, or for failing to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity. In order to constitute harassment, the conduct must be severe, persistent, and/or pervasive, such that it has the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s academic or employment performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive academic, living, or working environment.

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Student Handbook: Campus Computing

Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: August 22, 2016

Inappropriate use includes: … Sending messages that are severely abusive or threaten an individual’s safety or for sexual, ethnic, religious, minority, or other harassment.

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Student Handbook: Sign Posting Policy

Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
Last updated: August 22, 2016

Bard College fosters and supports the exchange of information and expression of ideas. To that end, students are not allowed to remove flyers they find offensive. An example of such a flyer should be brought to the attention of the Office of Student Activities. Postings that violate the free speech policy may be removed and sponsors may be subject to disciplinary action.

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Student Handbook: Free Speech Policy

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 22, 2016

Threats, harassment, coercion, and acts threatening or causing physical harm are prohibited at Bard, as they are in the public community.

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Student Handbook: Events Registration

Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: August 20, 2015

Bard College strongly affirms the right of free speech for each member of the Bard community.

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Student Handbook: Bias Incidents

Speech Code Category: Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
Last updated: August 22, 2016

While Bard College is committed to the free and open exchange of ideas and to the view that the expression of controversial ideas and differing views is a vital part of campus discourse, it does not condone harassment or expressions of bias or hate aimed at individuals or groups. Speech or expression that is not prohibited, but is rude, lacking in respect, disruptive, or hateful is discouraged. The College may voice its disapproval of such expression through private communications, public condemnation, the organization of public forum and calls for more speech and open debate.

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Bard College Steps Up for Free Speech

October 4, 2011

It always feels great to be able to share good news about free speech on campus. So I am very happy to report that Bard College in New York has taken the commendable step of clarifying its student conduct policies to affirm that the college is committed to students’ right to free speech and expression. Until this year, Bard was listed as “not rated” in FIRE’s Spotlight database, a designation reserved for private institutions that make clear that they place other values above the right to free speech. Bard’s “Community Standards of Behavior” formerly provided that Everyone who lives, works, […]

Sectarian Institutions and Free Speech

April 17, 2007

As mentioned in previous blog entries, George Mason University Professor Jon B. Gould’s call for the dissolution of FIRE (subscribers only, unfortunately) in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Review section is riddled with mischaracterizations and inaccuracies. Having disproved his example of FIRE’s “exaggeration” of speech codes and pointed out his questionable understanding of how sexual harassment regulations are constructed on campus, we would like to turn now to his contention that FIRE does not much care about censorship on sectarian religious campuses: One need only look at FIRE’s Web site. During the first week of February this year, half of […]