School Spotlight

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Speech Code Rating
Massachusetts State Universities Equal Opportunity, Diversity and Affirmative Action Plan
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 27, 2020Discriminatory harassment. A form of unlawful 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, hostile or offensive work or educational environment; 2. ... Read MoreStudent Handbook: Advertising Policy
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
Last updated: August 27, 2020All flyers, banners, and table tents require approval from the Office of Student Development before being displayed. … Advertisements promoting the sale or use of alcohol or containing material deemed inappropriate or offensive to the Campus community will not be approved for posting. Read MoreResident Student Handbook: Solicitation, Posting Policy & Private Enterprise
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
Last updated: August 27, 2020The Director of RPS reserves the right to refuse permission to advertise events or services that promote the use of alcohol or are insensitive to members of the campus community. Read MoreStudent Handbook: Free Speech and Assembly
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: August 27, 2020All students have a right to demonstrate on College premises provided no such demonstration shall materially disrupt class, work or other College business or involves substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of others. … There shall be no interference with a demonstration on the grounds of content of spe... Read MoreStudent Handbook: Special Behavioral Standards for Students at MCLA
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 27, 2020The College has concern for incidents in which students are subject to harassment because of membership in a particular racial, ethnic, religious, gender, self-identification of gender or sexual orientation group, or because of their disability. Conduct less than a physical attack or contact that is so severe or per... Read More
‘Speech Code of the Month’ in ‘The FIRE Quarterly’
May 25, 2007
As Torch readers know, each month, FIRE features a college or university with a particularly egregious speech code as its Speech Code of the Month. We use Speech Code of the Month to educate the public about the ever-present problem of speech codes on campus, but the feature also helps put public pressure on these… Read more
New Speech Code of the Month Website Feature
April 13, 2007
FIRE’s Speech Code of the Month program has been an important vehicle for change. Since June 2005, five universities—Albertson College of Idaho, the University of Nevada at Reno, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Jacksonville State University, and the University of Mississippi—have changed their policies after being named Speech Code of the Month. In addition, the… Read more
Victory for Free Speech at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
January 16, 2007
Students at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts are much freer today than they were a year ago, thanks to a significant revision in university policy. Since being named FIRE’s Speech Code of the Month in January 2006, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has dramatically changed its policies. This victory for free expression follows a… Read more
Speech Code of the Month: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
January 3, 2006
FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for January 2006: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. The Student Handbook at Massachusetts College for Liberal Arts (MCLA), a public institution bound by the First Amendment, contains a Picketing Policy that provides as follows: “There shall be no interference with a demonstration on the grounds of content… Read more
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