Pennsylvania House of Representatives Select Committee on Student Academic Freedom

September 19, 2005

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives brought together a committee to examine allegations that Pennsylvania’s public universities were plagued by liberal ideology and indoctrination. David A. French, at the time president of FIRE, served as a legal adviser to the panel. FIRE released FIRE Report on the First Amendment Responsibilities of Pennsylvania State-Funded Colleges and Universities, explaining that Pennsylvania universities are bound to follow the strictures of the U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions, notably to respect the expressive rights of students and faculty members, to protect religious liberty on campus, and to protect freedom of conscience on campus.

Policy No. C005: Rights of Students and Other Persons to Assemble for the Purpose of Demonstrating Their Concerns

Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: February 3, 2016

The time, place, and manner of exercising speech and advocacy on the campus are subject to the following regulations that provide for noninterference with University functions and reasonable protection to persons from practices that would make them involuntary audiences. Individuals or groups wishing to assemble on the Edinboro University campus must complete a Facilities Request Form through the Conference and Convention Center Office. A copy of the Facilities Request Form is attached to this policy. In addition, individuals or groups must meet with the Dean of Student Life whose office is located in the University Center.

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Office of Social Equity: Diversity and Civility Statement

Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: February 3, 2016

Even in the diverse and civil community, however, we recognize that there might be instances of behavior and conduct from members of our campus community that falls short of who we are as a civil community of continuous learners and scholars such that, to a reasonable person, the behavior or conduct clearly demonstrates intolerance, incivility and disrespect for others.

Edinboro University does not and will not tolerate acts, behavior or harassment that includes bullying and cyber-bullying, or intimidation, either direct or by implied threat, or acts of violence or threatened violence against individuals or groups belonging to our campus community. The University also will not tolerate acts of seriously disruptive behavior. Such acts, behavior or conduct by or against any member of our community violates our accepted community standards and our standards of excellence.

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Policy No. C057: Acceptable Use of Technology

Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: February 3, 2016

Prohibited Uses of University Information Technology Resources: … Use of the university’s information technology resources to transmit chain letters, spam, threatening or harassing material, and other communications prohibited by state law.

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Policy No. C006: Harassment, Intimidation, and Institutional Vandalism

Speech Code Category: Bullying Policies
Last updated: February 3, 2016

Bullying is defined as behavior or conduct when the act is severe, persistent or pervasive and substantially interferes with an individual’s educational or work environment, creating a threatening environment, or substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the University.

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Cyber-bullying is defined as an intentional electronic act of bullying as defined above.

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Title IX Sexual Harassment: Recognizing Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Violence

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: February 3, 2016

Gender-based harassment, including that predicated on sex-stereotyping, is a form of prohibited sex discrimination if it is sufficiently serious to deny or limit a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the University’s programs and activities.

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Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, whether or not accompanied by promises or threats and other sexual conduct that occur on or off campus when: … Such conduct is sufficiently severe or pervasive so as to create an intimidating or hostile work or educational environment, which unreasonably interferes with work or educational performance or negatively affects an individual’s employment or education opportunities (Hostile environment). … Hostile environment is evaluated from the perspective of a reasonable person in the alleged victim’s position, considering all circumstances.

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Connecticut College Password-Protects Key Documents

May 21, 2009

Connecticut College—which in past years has earned a red light from FIRE for its speech codes—has password-protected two key documents, the Student Handbook and the Bias Incident Protocol. We at FIRE believe that prospective students and their parents have the right to know whether Connecticut College prohibits free speech—and whether the college even still promises free speech, since those promises were contained in earlier versions of the Student Handbook. This move is part of a disturbing trend among colleges to restrict access to these documents to those already on campus (we’ve recently seen this happen at DePaul University and Edinboro […]

Weekly Media Round-Up: FIRE’s Pressure on Michigan State Over ‘Spamming’ Case Heating Up

December 5, 2008

While FIRE awaits the results of this week’s disciplinary hearing of Michigan State University (MSU) undergraduate Kara Spencer—who faces possible suspension for sending “spam” e-mails to 391 MSU professors—word of the case and FIRE’s involvement has quickly spread throughout the East Lansing, Michigan, campus and beyond. Shortly following the sending of FIRE’s letter to MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, an article in MSU’s paper, The State News, alerted the campus community to the university’s outrageous overreaction to Spencer’s e-mails, which conveyed relevant information about impending changes to the school’s academic calendar. Word of MSU’s threats against Spencer has also […]

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Hides its Sexual Harassment Policy

December 1, 2008

Last December, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania earned a red-light rating from FIRE for its sexual harassment policy, which unconstitutionally prohibits any “comments about an individual’s body, sexually degrading words to describe an individual, offensive comments, off-color language or jokes, innuendos and sexually suggestive objects, books, magazines, photographs, cartoons or pictures.” Since that time, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit—which includes all of Pennsylvania—ruled that Temple University’s former sexual harassment policy was unconstitutional. That ruling called into question the constitutionality of speech codes at universities across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware—including at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. In fact, […]