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

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: July 10, 2017

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.

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As required by law, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities further defines sexual harassment as a form of sexual discrimination which is prohibited by state and federal law. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexually motivated physical conduct, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: … Such conduct has the purpose or effect of threatening an individual’s employment; interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance; or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment.

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Student Handbook: Student Code of Conduct

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: July 10, 2017

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.

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

Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: July 10, 2017

Users must not engage in inappropriate uses, including: … 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 as such access relates to the academic pursuits of a system student or professional activities of a system employee; and “Spamming” through widespread dissemination of unsolicited and unauthorized e-mail messages.

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Student Handbook: Political Activity

Speech Code Category: Other Speech Codes
Last updated: July 10, 2017

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.

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Political activity means action by a person or persons promoting the candidacy of an individual or group of individuals or favoring a particular position on a public issue. Such activity may include:

1. Distribution of political literature including handbills, cards, buttons and pamphlets;
2. Requests to sign petitions;
3. Discussions of candidates or issues.

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No person or group shall have the right to place political signs, posters, banners or similar material on or in University property. Political student organizations which are recognized under the appropriate University regulations may post signs announcing meetings of the organization.

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Student Handbook: Peaceful Demonstrations and Protests

Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: July 10, 2017

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.

Peaceful demonstrations and protests so registered will be permitted in the following nonreserve areas: non-academic, public hallways and lounges; the Hobson Memorial Union Ballroom Lobby; and the Deputy Hall Lobby. These areas and some outside areas may be requested for demonstration and protest purposes through the Director of Student Union or designee.

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Student Handbook: Student Code of Conduct

Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: July 10, 2017

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

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Being ‘offensive’ is not enough basis to limit speech

June 13, 2013

by Bob Kellogg OneNewsNow   A Minnesota university wants to not only restrict offensive speech but even speech that is loud or boisterous and may raise alarm. This is an abuse of the First Amendment. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education has announced that the organization’s Speech Code of the Month focus has been directed on Bemidji State because of its code that prohibits language that might offend others. Robert Shibley of F.I.R.E. explains the problem with that policy. “The fact that nobody can easily determine what is offensive conduct is at the heart of the problem with this code,” he […]

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 the policy its "Speech Code of the Month" for June 2013.  FIRE defines a "speech code" as any university regulation or policy that prohibits expression that would be protected by the First Amendment in society at large. Each month, FIRE features a particularly restrictive speech […]

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 it Speech Code of the Month, the relevant section of Bemidji State’s conduct code prohibited 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 […]

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 sponsored or supervised activities. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, speech and expression cannot be prohibited simply because others find it offensive. In Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, 414 (1989), the U.S. Supreme Court held that "[i]f there is a bedrock […]