School Spotlight

Northwestern State University

Location: Natchitoches, Louisiana
Type: Public
Tell Northwestern State University to revise its speech policies by filling out this form.

Speech Code Rating

Northwestern State University 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

  • Student Handbook: Code of Conduct- Personal Conduct Infractions

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: September 5, 2019

    Physical abuse or threat thereof, verbal abuse, bullying, harassment, domestic or dating violence, intimidation, stalking, coercion, against any person. Read More

  • Student Handbook: Sexual Discrimination and Sexual Assault & Harassment Policy

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: September 5, 2019

    Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature when … such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with a person’s employment or education, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive employment or educational environment, and has no legitimate relationship to the subject ... Read More

  • Student Handbook: Code of Student Conduct- Informational Infractions

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
    Last updated: September 5, 2019

    Use of computing facilities to access, send, or receive obscene and/or abusive messages. Read More

  • Policy on Public Speech, Assembly and Demonstrations

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
    Last updated: September 5, 2019

    Demonstrations and protests should take place at least 150 feet from academic buildings during academic hours to avoid disrupting the academic functions of the university. … To maintain safety and security, to minimize risks of harm and to minimize conflict with academic processes, the university has designate... Read More

  • Student Handbook: Cyberbullying

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Bullying Policies
    Last updated: September 5, 2019

    Cyberbullying involves the use of information technology (email, websites, social networking, internet messaging, or any other technology) for hostile behavior to harm or to upset others. A person cannot easily get away from cyberbullying since using email and the internet are everyday practices. Northwestern State ... Read More

  • Student Handbook: Code of Student Conduct- Introduction

    Speech Code Rating: Green
    Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
    Last updated: September 5, 2019

    As a member of the University community, a student is entitled to the freedoms and rights guaranteed to students by the Constitutions of the United States and Louisiana. Read More
At present, FIRE has not been publicly involved in any cases at this school.

  • Northwestern State Improves Speech Code Rating by Quickly Revising Problematic Policy

    August 26, 2016

    Northwestern State University in Louisiana (NSULA) has revised the restrictive demonstration policy that FIRE named as our August “Speech Code of the Month” just a few days ago. The university has eliminated the most problematic parts of the policy and has told FIRE it is committed to protecting free speech on campus. NSULA President Jim… Read more

  • Speech Code of the Month: Northwestern State University

    August 24, 2016

    FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for August 2016: Northwestern State University in Louisiana. Universities are allowed to adopt reasonable, content-neutral, and narrowly tailored “time, place, and manner” regulations governing expressive activities on campus, but Northwestern State’s new Policy on Public Speech, Assembly and Demonstrations is anything but reasonable. Because of this policy,… Read more

  • UMass Chancellor: Campus Leaders Must Encourage Debate, Not Censorship

    July 31, 2013

    Far too often, college administrators fail to recognize the value of free speech in education and instead take action to censor students’ protected expression. However, Kumble Subbaswamy, Chancellor at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, commendably advocated for free speech in a recent article for The Huffington Post.  Commenting on recent free speech controversies involving Rolling Stone… Read more

  • FIRE Cited in University Policy, But Speech Code Gets It Wrong on ‘Cyberbullying’

    August 16, 2012

    In what may be a first, FIRE has been directly cited in a university policy regulating student expression. Northwestern State University (NSU) in Louisiana maintains a Student Handbook policy on "Cyberbullying" (PDF) that states, in relevant part:  Cyberbullying involves the use of information technology (email, websites, social networking, internet messaging, or any other technology) for… Read more