School Spotlight

Bemidji State University

Location: Bemidji, Minnesota
Type: Public
Tell Bemidji State University to revise its speech policies by filling out this form.

Speech Code Rating

Bemidji State University has been given the speech code rating Yellow. Yellow light colleges and universities are those institutions with at least one ambiguous policy that too easily encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application. Read more

  • Student Handbook: Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination in Employment and Education Policy

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: October 4, 2021

    Discriminatory harassment means verbal or physical conduct that is directed at an individual because of his or her protected class, and that is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or persistent so as to have the purpose or effect of creating a hostile work or educational environment. As required by law, Minnesota State ... Read More

  • Student Handbook: Student Code of Conduct

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: October 4, 2021

    Physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, or harassment of a person including but not limited to stalking, defamation, intimidation or harassment through other persons, or use of electronic or other communication devices such as video, computers or telephones. Read More

  • Hobson Memorial Union: Political Activity Policy

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Other Speech Codes
    Last updated: October 4, 2021

    The purpose of this policy is to encourage the use of available public areas in university facilities for political activity. These activities must be scheduled with the appropriate director of the building or area involved. … Political activity means action by a person or persons promoting the candidacy of an... Read More

  • Student Handbook: Peaceful Demonstrations and Protests

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
    Last updated: October 4, 2021

    2) Sponsors of demonstrations or protests must secure a registration permit from the Director of Student Union or designee at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled activity. 3) Peaceful demonstrations and protests so registered will be permitted in the following non-reserve areas: non-academic, public hallways and l... Read More

  • Minnesota State Colleges and Universities: Procedure 5.22.1, Acceptable Use of Computers and Information Technology Resources

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
    Last updated: October 4, 2021

    Users must not engage in inappropriate uses, including: … e. Storage, display, transmission, or intentional or solicited receipt of material that is or may be reasonably regarded as obscene, sexually explicit, or pornographic, including any depiction, photograph, audio recording, video or written word, except ... Read More

  • Student Handbook: Student Code of Conduct

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
    Last updated: October 4, 2021

    Statement of Responsible Behavior. … Students will speak and listen to others with care, seeking personal understanding and maintaining respect and civility. Read More

  • Minnesota State Colleges and Universities: Procedure 1B.3.1 Response to Sexual Violence and Title IX Sexual Harassment

    Speech Code Rating: Green
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: October 4, 2021

    For purposes of Title IX, sexual harassment means conduct on the basis of sex that occurs in a college or university’s program or activity in the United States that satisfies one or more of the following: … Unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive... Read More
At present, FIRE has not been publicly involved in any cases at this school.

  • October 2020 Speech Code of the Month: Bemidji State University

    October 7, 2020

    For those on campus, it must be hard to avoid the discussion of politics at the moment, with the presidential election less than a month away and early voting underway across the country. But engaging in various forms of political expression could land students at Bemidji State University in trouble.  At this Minnesota public university,… Read more

  • Minnesota’s Bemidji State Axes ‘Speech Code of the Month,’ Sheds ‘Red Light’ Rating

    June 20, 2013

    This press release was sent to local Minnesota media outlets this afternoon: MINNEAPOLIS, June 20, 2013—Free speech is safer today at Bemidji State University (BSU), which has revised a policy identified by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a free-speech watchdog group, as violating the First Amendment. The revisions came after FIRE named… Read more

  • Bemidji State Revises ‘Speech Code of the Month,’ Sheds ‘Red Light’ Rating

    June 18, 2013

    On June 5, FIRE announced that Minnesota’s Bemidji State University was our June 2013 Speech Code of the Month for language in its student conduct code prohibiting "offensive" speech. Happily, less than a week later, Bemidji State tweeted at FIRE a notification that it had revised the objectionable language in its code.   When we named… Read more

  • Speech Code of the Month: Bemidji State University

    June 5, 2013

    FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for June 2013: Bemidji State University in Minnesota. Bemidji State’s Student Code of Conduct prohibits: engaging in any offensive, obscene or abusive language, or in boisterous or noisy conduct reasonably tending to arouse alarm, resentment, or anger in others on University-owned or controlled property or at University… Read more