School Spotlight
Framingham State University
Speech Code Rating
Ram Student Handbook: Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Policy
Speech Code Rating: Red
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: March 18, 2021Examples of discriminatory harassment, all of which are prohibited by this Policy, include, but are not limited to: Physically harassing another individual or group because of that person’s or persons’ membership in a protected class by assaulting, touching, patting, pinching, grabbing, staring, leering at them, ma... Read MoreMassachusetts State Universities Equal Opportunity, Diversity and Affirmative Action Plan
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: March 18, 2021Discriminatory harassment. A form of discrimination including verbal and/or physical conduct based on legally protected characteristics and/or membership in a protected class that: 1. has the purpose or effect of creating an objectively intimidating or hostile work or educational environment; 2. has the purpose or e... Read MoreRam Student Handbook: Student Code of Conduct Regulations
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: March 18, 2021Intimidation, invasion of privacy, verbal abuse, or any conduct constituting harassment, abuse or threats to the well-being of a person or group, including, but not limited to, communication via electronic means. Read MoreAcceptable Use Policy
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: March 18, 2021University policy and local, state and federal law do prohibit some forms of communication, including: … anonymous or repeated messages designed to annoy, abuse or torment. Read MoreRam Student Handbook: Bias Incident Protocol
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
Last updated: March 18, 2021Behavior reflecting bias or discrimination may constitute a violation of university polices, including but not limited to those set forth in the University’s Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Affirmative Action Plan (“EO Plan”), as found in this Ram Handbook, and/or the Faculty Handbook. Such conduct may also viola... Read MoreRam Student Handbook: Freedom of Expression & Assembly Rights
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: March 18, 2021Framingham State University supports the constitutional right of free speech and assembly. Conduct that is protected by the First Amendment is not actionable under law, or the Framingham State University Student Code of Conduct. Read MoreRam Student Handbook: Freedom of Expression & Assembly Rights
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: March 18, 2021All students, have a right to demonstrate on University premises provided, however, that no such demonstration shall be permissible, which for any reason of time, place, or type of behavior, materially disrupts class work or other University business, or involves substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of oth... Read MoreMA State Universities Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: March 18, 2021(a) Sexual Harassment The Universities prohibit, under this Policy, conduct on the basis of sex that satisfies one or more of the following conditions: 1. An employee of the University conditioning the provision of an aid, benefit, or service of the University on an individual’s participation in unwelcome sexual con... Read MoreRam Student Handbook: Student Conduct Code- Introduction
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: March 18, 2021Academic institutions exist for the transmission of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the development of the whole student, and the betterment of society. Free inquiry and free expression are indispensable to the attainment of these goals. Read More
What should happen when a student paper receives a censorship demand?
May 18, 2021
In an ideal world, the relationship between a university and student media should look something like this: The student newspaper is the watchdog that scrutinizes the words and actions of the university. The university, its officials, and its departments should have no say over the content produced by the publication. This is true even if… Read more
Framingham State U. Police to Student: Facebooking About Halloween Costume ‘Goes Beyond … Freedom of Speech’
November 21, 2014
According to Framingham State University’s (FSU’s) student newspaper The Gatepost, campus police officers questioned several FSU students over their public comments about two of their peers’ Halloween costumes depicting domestic violence. Gatepost editors aptly pointed out that such questioning is not acceptable at FSU, a public university in Massachusetts bound by the First Amendment. FSU… Read more
Speech Code of the Month: Framingham State University
May 2, 2012
FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for May 2012: Framingham State University. This public university has a student policy on “Freedom of Expression” which provides that Recognized student clubs or organizations desiring to sponsor a religious display must consider the following: such displays may not promote or hinder one religion over another, must… Read more
Censorship Doesn’t Pay
May 11, 2007
Some students at Framingham State College are finding out the hard way that newspaper theft and censorship don’t pay off in the end. According to The Boston Globe, seven students attended a lacrosse match with letters of a friend’s name painted across their midriffs to show support for him. A student reporter saw these women… Read more