Cameron University

Student Handbook: Facility Use Policy- Security

Speech Code Category: Security Fee Policies
Last updated: April 26, 2018

The University wants to provide a safe and secure environment for its community. During events, gatherings, and assemblies attracting large groups of people, there is an increased risk for affrays, altercations, vandals, predators, and other disturbances that can cause injury to attendees or other individuals and that can cause damage to University property or that of others.. During all such events, the following minimum standards will apply:

5.1     The Director of Public Safety, or his/her designee, shall have the final decision- making capability and will decide how many police officers will be present, if any, and how many security personnel will be present, if any, after being properly advised as to the facts surrounding the event and the likelihood of potential disruptions or security threats, based on the history of the event in other areas, room size, value of the property, number of entry and exit points, daytime/nighttime use, estimated crowd size, and the nature of the area hosting the event.

5.2     Conferencing Services, in conjunction with the Director of Public Safety, or his/her designee, shall review security requirements for all events scheduled outdoors or in classroom facilities. When the Director of Conferencing Services determines that additional security beyond that normally provided is necessary, the Director of Conferencing Services shall so inform the RSO/Student. The RSO/Student shall be responsible for the cost of additional security.

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Use of Facilities Policy

Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: April 26, 2018

Any groups desiring to obtain event space in any University facility or in any open any area must submit a completed Cameron University “Request for Activity or Use of University Facility Form” to the Coordinator of Special Events, who is responsible for coordinating events and calendaring activities.

Standard requests should be received at least two weeks in advance. Emergency requests cannot be acted upon if received less than 72 hours before the proposed starting time of the event. The individual or group requesting space must obtain signed approval by the appropriate facility supervisors as noted on the “Request for Activity or Use of University Facility Form.”

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4.0 Assembly Locations The University permits events for University groups in the open area south of the Student Union and area east of the Fitness Center with prior approval (registration). All such events must be conducted without sound amplification equipment.

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14.0 Peaceful Demonstration

14.1 All persons shall have the right to peacefully demonstrate, strike or otherwise use the public streets, roads, sidewalks or other public property of Cameron University for the purpose of expressing their opinions or viewpoints, or imparting information.

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Sexual Harassment Policy

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: April 26, 2018

Sexual harassment shall be defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature in the following context:

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When such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or academic environment.

Conduct prohibited by this policy may include, but is not limited to:

1. Unwelcome sexual flirtation, advances or propositions for sexual activity, or
2. Continued or repeated verbal abuse of a sexual nature, such as suggestive comments and sexual comments and sexually explicit jokes, or
3. Remarks of a sexual nature to describe a person’s body or clothing, or
4. Display of sexually demeaning objects or pictures …

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Computer Use Policy

Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: April 26, 2018

Misuse of computing resources includes, but is not limited to, the following: … using CU computing resources for development, posting, transmission of, or link to, any of the following: commercial or personal advertisements; solutions; promotions; destructive programs; political material; messages which are fraudulent, harassing, obscene, indecent, profane, intimidating, or otherwise unlawful; or any other unauthorized or personal use.

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Student Handbook: Code of Student Conduct- Conduct Required

Speech Code Category: Other Speech Codes
Last updated: April 26, 2018

Each student shall conduct himself in a manner consistent with the University’s mission as an educational institution. Any student who fails to conduct himself in such manner violates this code and a disciplinary penalty may be imposed.

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Student Handbook: Gender-Based Misconduct Policy for Students

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: April 26, 2018

Gender-based misconduct comprises a broad range of behaviors focused on sex and/or gender that may or may not be sexual in nature.

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For purposes of illustration, the following list sets forth examples of conduct that could constitute gender-based misconduct under those definitions, but is not meant to be all-inclusive: … Belittling remarks about a person’s gender or sexual orientation based on gender-stereotyping.

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Gender-based Harassment.  Acts of aggression, intimidation, stalking, or hostility based on gender or gender stereotyping constitutes gender-based harassment. Gender-based harassment can occur if students are harassed either for exhibiting what is perceived as a stereotypical characteristic of their sex, or for failing to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity. To constitute harassment, the conduct must unreasonably interfere with an individual’s education or educational activities or create an intimidating, hostile, demeaning, or offensive academic or living environment.

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Use of Social Media Policy

Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: April 26, 2018

Personal Use of Social Media … If individuals choose to identify themselves as a University employee or student, he/she should make it clear that the views posted are his or her own and not those of the University. Individuals are reminded that anything posted can reflect upon the university, even if a disclaimer exists. Posts may result in liability for the individual and for the University

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Student Handbook: Facility Use Policy

Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: April 26, 2018

There are several areas located on the University campus that are open to Students and RSOs for free speech, protests, leafleting, etc. and require no reservation or notice (unless use also includes the placement of tables, booths, structures, large displays, vehicles, sound, audio or PA systems, or when assistance is needed from the University, in which case reservations as noted in Section 2.2 below are required).  Although not required, Conferencing Services requests that RSOs/individual Students notify the University of the use of such locations to ensure the space can accommodate such request, to ensure that no disturbance of the University’s educational mission occurs, to ensure it is not in conflict with other prior requests for the area, and so that the University can assist in reserving the requested location.   Notifications may be made by calling Conferencing Services: 580-581-2291 or by email addressed to:reservations@cameron.edu.

The public areas for use by RSOs/Students include all sidewalks, and the following areas:

• Grassy areas in between Burch Hall and Aggie Gym
• Veterans Grove
• Jesse Davenport Unity Garden
• Charles S. Graybill MD Courtyard
• Grassy areas between Nance Boyer Hall and the Academic Commons
• Grassy areas between the Sciences Complex and McMahon Centennial Complex
• Bentley Gardens
• Monica and Tom McCasland Family Pond
• Grassy areas west of McMahon Center
• Grassy areas between Shepler Hall and the Aggie Rec Center
• Cameron Park
• Grassy Area north and west of main building (Cameron University-Duncan)

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Student Handbook: Code of Student Conduct- Conduct Required

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: April 26, 2018

Abusive conduct: Unwelcome conduct that is sufficiently severe and pervasive that it alters the conditions of education and creates an environment that a reasonable person would find intimidating, harassing, or humiliating. The frequency of the conduct, its severity, and whether it is threatening or humiliating are factors that will be considered in determining whether conduct is abusive. Abusive conduct includes verbal abuse, physical abuse, or holding a person against his or her will. Simple teasing, offhanded comments and isolated incidents (unless extremely serious) will not amount to abusive conduct.

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Trending: Conservatives, Christians Take Campus Battles to Court – And Win

August 11, 2014

By Jennifer Kabbany at The College Fix They’ve been ordered not to hand out copies of the U.S. Constitution. They’ve been denied promotions because of their faith. They’ve been forced to help pay for abortion-inducing birth control. They’ve been judged solely by the color of their skin. And they’re fighting back. And they’re winning. Conservative and Christian students and professors who have been denied free speech or faced discrimination and religious persecution because of their beliefs have recently enjoyed a string of courthouse victories in what’s amounting to something of a banner year for such causes. There’s been at least six […]

In Higher Education, Low Tolerance for Free Speech

May 29, 2014

By Charles C. Haynes at Columbia Daily Herald Daniel Harper, a student at Cameron University in Oklahoma, is the latest victim of the censorship pandemic currently infecting America’s colleges and universities. Earlier this semester, Harper handed out flyers expressing his religious objections to the World Mission Society, a religious group active on Cameron’s campus. Harper, an evangelical Christian, believes the group is a dangerous cult. After receiving a complaint, administrators prohibited Harper from distributing any more flyers citing the university’s Expressive Activity Policy and Equal Opportunity Policy, which bar students from engaging in “offensive” and “discriminatory” speech, require students to join a […]

Public University Forbids Criticizing Religious Group as a Cult

May 22, 2014

By Eugene Volokh at The Washington Post Daniel Harper, a Cameron University (Oklahoma) student, was handing out fliers criticizing the World Mission Society as a supposed cult. (Naturally, I express no opinion on whether or not the World Mission Society is a “cult,” whatever exactly that term might mean.) The university forbade him from doing this, stating: Having reviewed policy 10.6 DISCRIMINATION (FOR OTHER THAN SEXUAL OR RACIAL/ETHNIC HARASSMENT) and having followed the procedures outlined at 10.7 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE in the Employee Handbook the finding in this matter is as follows: 10.7.7.3 DETERMINATION OF IMPROPRIETY The basic values of religious freedom are […]

Cameron U. Supposedly Revises Unconstitutional Policies After Student Files Suit

October 9, 2014

Cameron University got a mention on The Torch last May for its unconstitutional restrictions on student speech and for one administrator’s patently incorrect suggestion that university policies trump the First Amendment. As I reported at the time, Cameron student Daniel Harper filed suit against the public university in Oklahoma after he was told he could not distribute his flyers criticizing a religious group because they were allegedly “offensive” and “discriminatory.” The university’s “Expressive Activity” policy also stated that materials to be distributed must be approved by the Director of Student Development in advance. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represented Harper, […]

Cameron U. Sued After Prohibiting Student from Distributing Flyers

May 23, 2014

Cameron University student Daniel Harper enlisted the help of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) to file a lawsuit last week against the university for violating his First Amendment right to hand out flyers on the campus of the public Oklahoma institution. But this isn’t just a matter of Cameron administrators not understanding “time, place, and manner” restrictions or being overly sensitive to certain keywords. No, Cameron is declaring itself to be the single public university not legally bound by the U.S. Constitution.