School Spotlight

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Location: Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Type: Public
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Speech Code Rating

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania 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

  • Acceptable Use Policy

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
    Last updated: October 12, 2018

    Use of the university information technology resources to transmit abusive, threatening, or harassing material, chain letters, spam, or other communications prohibited by state or federal law … Read More

  • Student Handbook: Student Code of Conduct- Harm to Others

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: October 12, 2018

    Harassment, defined as a pattern of behavior that involves verbal abuse or harassment, threats, intimidation, bullying, coercion, stalking, and/or other conduct which threatens or endangers the health and safety of another person(s) or another person’s property. … Bullying, defined as the repeated and intentio... Read More

  • Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedures

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: October 12, 2018

    Harassment, a specific form of discrimination, is defined as any type of behavior based on gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status that is so severe or pervasive that it interferes with an individual’s work or academic performance or ... Read More

  • Student Handbook: Solicitation and Public Demonstration

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
    Last updated: October 12, 2018

    Solicitation refers to such activities as recruitment, distribution of information materials, events promotion and other similar activities which do not include the sale of goods or services or solicitation of funds. … Solicitation may take place outdoors. The Director of Public Safety and Police Services, tog... Read More

  • Student Handbook: Due Process- Rights

    Speech Code Rating: Green
    Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
    Last updated: October 12, 2018

    University students have the same constitutional freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, and right of petition as other citizens enjoy and are subject to the same civil laws and due process as other citizens. Read More

  • Student Handbook: Sexual Harassment Policy & Procedures

    Speech Code Rating: Green
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: October 12, 2018

    Sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and/or other verbal or physical conduct that is pervasive or severe may constitute sexual harassment when: … such conduct has the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offe... Read More

  • Student Handbook: Posting and Chalking Guidelines

    Speech Code Rating: Green
    Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
    Last updated: October 12, 2018

    No information will be posted that is inconsistent with or in violation of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or federal laws or regulations, or any municipal ordinances. This policy is not intended to infringe upon the First Amendment rights guaranteed by the United States and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Constitutions. Read More

  • 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,… Read more

  • Fired for Making Waves, Kutztown University Professor Takes Case to Federal Court

    May 27, 2011

    Until being fired in October 2009, Will Plouffe had been a tenure track professor in the Criminal Justice Department at Pennsylvania’s Kutztown University for just under two years. Transitioning into academia from his previous career as an attorney, Plouffe was seemingly well-suited for a long, successful career. So what happened? In Plouffe’s telling, the answer… Read more

  • Is Kutztown Slipping?

    March 3, 2006

    In a February 10 post, Charles lauded administrators at Kutztown University for their reaction to and treatment of the College Republicans’ affirmative action bake sale. Charles wrote, “Not only was the bake sale there not shut down, but university officials told the media that ‘they hope the bake sale promotes healthy debate on campus.’” Since… Read more

  • DePaul, Meet Kutztown

    February 10, 2006

    DePaul University, a private institution that proudly bills itself as the nation’s largest Catholic university, could learn a few lessons from Pennsylvania’s little-known Kutztown University. Earlier this week, the College Republicans at Kutztown did exactly what the DePaul Conservative Alliance tried to do—that is, they had an “affirmative action bake sale.” As FIRE’s recent press… Read more