School Spotlight
Pennsylvania State University – University Park
Location:
State College, Pennsylvania
Type:
Public
Speech Code Rating
Pennsylvania State University – University Park 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.
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Office of Student Conduct: Code of Conduct & Student Conduct Procedures
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: October 5, 2021SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND MISCONDUCT: Sexual harassment occurs when a student engages in unwelcome conduct of a sexual or gender-based nature that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive so as to substantially interfere with an individual’s employment, education, or access to University programs, activities and... Read MoreUniversity Policy Manual: Policy AD91 Discrimination and Harassment, and Related Inappropriate Conduct
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: October 5, 2021CONDUCT PROHIBITED BY THIS POLICY (“Prohibited Conduct”): … Harassment means behavior consisting of physical or verbal conduct that is sufficiently severe or pervasive such that it substantially interferes with an individual’s employment, education or access to University programs, activities or opportunities ... Read MoreUniversity Policy Manual: Policy AD51 Use of Outdoor Areas for Expressive Activities
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: October 5, 2021A university is inherently a marketplace of ideas, and Penn State encourages and protects the rights of members of the University community to express divergent viewpoints and opinions on matters of concern. At the same time, the University encourages persons engaging in expressive activity to demonstrate civility, ... Read MoreUniversity Policy Manual: Policy AD51 Use of Outdoor Areas for Expressive Activities
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: October 5, 2021Based upon careful study, the following areas of the University Park Campus have been designated as areas suitable for expressive activity: Old Main front patio Allen Street Gate Plaza Willard Building patio area between Willard and Obelisk Palmer Art Museum Plaza Northwest corner of Shortlidge Rd. and College Aven... Read MoreUniversity Policy Manual: Policy AD29 Statement on Intolerance
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: October 5, 2021The expression of diverse views and opinions is encouraged in the University community. Further, the First Amendment of the United States’ Constitution assures the right of free expression. In a community which recognizes the rights of its members to hold divergent views and to express those views, sometimes i... Read MoreUniversity Policy Manual: Policy AD85 Title IX Sexual Harassment
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: October 5, 2021Sexual harassment under Title IX (“Prohibited Conduct”) means conduct on the basis of sex, gender-identity and/or sexual orientation that satisfies one or more of the following: … Unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, p... Read MorePenn State’s Protocol for Responding to Bias-Motivated Incidents
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
Last updated: October 5, 2021For purposes of this protocol, a “bias motivated incident” is any incident that may fall within one or more of the following definitions: Harassment means behavior consisting of physical or verbal conduct that is sufficiently severe or pervasive such that it substantially interferes with an individual’s employment, ... Read More
Policies are rated on their inclusion of 10 due process safeguards. Each policy may receive 2 points for fully including that safeguard, 1 point for partial inclusion, and 0 points for no meaningful inclusion. Most, but not all, institutions have separate policies for sexual misconduct and all other misconduct. See FIRE’s Spotlight on Due Process report for more information.
Grades
FIRE surveyed roughly 44,000 students at 203 colleges and universities about the climate for free speech at their institutions. See the full report on FIRE’s 2022 College Free Speech Rankings for more information.
Overall / out of a top score of 100 |
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| Overall Score | 45.56 |
Rankings / out of 203 colleges ranked |
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| Overall Ranking | 107 |
| Openness | 188 |
| Tolerance (Liberals) | 174 |
| Tolerance (Conservatives) | 55 |
| Administrative Support | 86 |
| Comfort | 171 |
| Disruptive Conduct | 75 |
Administrative Behavior |
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| Supported Scholars | 0 |
| Sanctioned Scholars | 0 |
| Successful Disinvitations | 0 |
Climate |
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| Speech Climate | AVERAGE |
| Speech Code | YELLOW |
Pennsylvania State University: Administrators Levy Excessive Security Fees on Student Group After It Holds Political Debate on Campus
July 6, 2022
Uncensored America, a student group at Penn State, held an on-campus debate in April 2022 between two political commentators that proceeded without disruption. After the debate, the university sent the group an invoice for more than $1,800 for the cost of five police officers to attend, despite the university’s lack of specific security requirements ahead… 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
Pennsylvania State University: Disciplining of Professor for Pro-War Remarks
October 24, 2001
At Pennsylvania State University, one professor’s web page advocated vigorous military action as a response to the terrorist attacks of September 11. Penn State’s Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Robert Secor, informed the professor that the comments were “insensitive and perhaps even intimidating.” In a letter to President Graham Spanier, FIRE noted that such a… Read more
Pennsylvania State University: Charges of ‘Discrimination’ Due to Religious Language in Club Constitution
March 12, 2001
A student group at Penn State University (PSU) won a momentous victory when the University reversed a ruling of the student government that had stripped the group’s constitution and mission statement of words found to be “discriminatory.” The trouble started when the undergraduate Student Government Supreme Court informed PSU’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom… Read more
Victory: Penn State rescinds imposition of excessive security fees on student group after letter from FIRE
July 19, 2022
Penn State is lifting the excessive security fees it imposed on the student group Uncensored America, marking a win for free expression in the Keystone State. On July 14, Penn State responded to FIRE’s letter that objected to the post hoc imposition of the excessive security fees by confirming the levy imposed on the student… Read more
By making student group pay lion’s share of security fees for controversial on-campus event, Penn State risks chilling student expression
July 6, 2022
Controversial on-campus speakers or events often put a public university’s obligation to uphold students’ rights to free speech to the test. Universities are charged with not facilitating a “heckler’s veto” by canceling or impeding events due to concerns about an audience’s reaction. At the same time, they must also not levy excessive security fees on… Read more
Big Ten schools lead the way with social media guidance for faculty, putting academic freedom front and center
November 9, 2020
Stories of faculty being targeted by social media campaigns seeking to get them fired for their protected expression have been a distressingly regular feature of FIRE’s Newsdesk coverage in recent years. Social media campaigns against faculty have been a frequent impetus for FIRE’s intervention in university free speech disputes, as universities frequently falter in their… Read more
Shouting down speakers doesn’t work
October 24, 2017
Our nation’s commitment to the principles and ideals of free speech is most often tested in the face of expression that many people reject as repugnant and harmful. So it was when the federal government attempted to stifle communist expression during the Red Scare and the Cold War. So it was in the 1970s, when… Read more
Due process legal update
October 3, 2017
Late last month, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) rescinded the April 4, 2011, “Dear Colleague” letter, which required schools to adjudicate sexual misconduct claims under the “preponderance of the evidence” standard and ushered in a climate of aggressive Title IX enforcement in which many schools abandoned critical due process protections for… Read more
Penn State Cites Due Process in Delaying Punishment for Fraternity
March 30, 2015
Earlier this month, the national Kappa Delta Rho (KDR) fraternity suspended its Pennsylvania State University chapter after the discovery of a private Facebook page containing pictures of passed out and/or naked women, hazing, and drug deals allegedly posted by KDR members. Penn State President Eric Barron wrote in a statement sent to the university community… Read more
Penn State Pushes Back Against Students’ and Senator’s Disinvitation Demands
March 16, 2015
Bill Ayers is no stranger to disinvitation attempts, and his recent invitation to speak at Pennsylvania State University predictably provoked opposition. Ayers is scheduled to speak at campus events on March 19 and 20, hosted by student groups using the funds allocated to them from student activity fees. Last Friday, a group of 11 students… Read more
Speech Codes of the Year: 2014
December 24, 2014
Each month, FIRE singles out a particularly reprehensible campus speech code for our Speech Code of the Month designation. While all of 2014’s Speech Codes of the Month flagrantly violated students’ or faculty members’ right to free expression, two of them were so egregious that they deserve special mention as 2014’s Speech Codes of the… Read more
Speech Code of the Month: Pennsylvania State University
December 8, 2014
FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for December 2014: Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). At Penn State, “Sexual Harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is unwanted, inappropriate, or unconsented to.” This is a staggeringly broad definition that… Read more
Constitution Day 2014: What a Difference a Year Makes
September 18, 2014
September 17, 2013—last year’s Constitution Day—turned out to be a dark moment in the history of free speech on America’s campuses. That was the day Robert Van Tuinen was stopped from handing out Constitutions on the campus of Modesto Junior College (MJC) in California. He had neglected to sign up to use the school’s tiny… Read more
Universities Must Not Intrude Upon Freedom of Conscience in ‘Values’ Statements
January 16, 2014
This winter, FIRE is running a series of blog posts about what makes a “green light” policy. So far, we have examined how universities can craft policies on harassment, civility, and computer usage that achieve their aims while still respecting students’ right to freedom of speech. Today we are going to talk about policies that infringe on students’ right to… Read more
This Month in FIRE History: FIRE Secures the Rights of Penn State Student Group
March 15, 2012
Eleven years ago this month, FIRE secured an important victory for freedom of association at Pennsylvania State University (PSU). The case first began in December 2000, when PSU’s undergraduate Student Government Supreme Court informed the school’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) that the words of its constitution and mission statement (which had been… Read more
College Students Defy Free Speech Restrictions to Celebrate Death of Bin Laden
May 2, 2011
The announcement late last evening that U.S. forces had killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan inspired celebrations outside the White House, in New York City, and on a number of college campuses. Spontaneous gatherings in response to major events—such as beginning or ending a war, an assassination, a heinous campus crime—are natural and to be… Read more
FIRE’s 2010 Video Campaign: Highlighting Censorship of Hot Button Issues, Part 2
December 24, 2010
In reviewing FIRE’s multimedia efforts at the close of 2010, I introduced our new video series on censorship of hot-button issues. Our second installment in this series, “Portraits of Terror,” is a key example of why video is so effective in relaying the stories behind our cases. In this case, it was images, not words, that… Read more
‘Portraits of Terror’ Exceeds 10,000 Views on YouTube
November 3, 2010
Another one of FIRE’s short films is gaining popularity on YouTube this week. Portraits of Terror portrays the case of Joshua Stulman, a student artist censored by Penn State administrators for presenting a satirical exhibition about terrorism in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank, and it has now exceeded 10,000 views. We’re excited… Read more
New FIRE Video: Sean Clark on Penn State’s Problem with ‘God-Given Free Will’
October 26, 2010
Today, FIRE’s Campus Freedom Network (CFN) has released a new video as part of a series featuring students and professors whose rights FIRE has defended. Sean Clark was part of a group at Penn State University, Young Americans for Freedom, whose charter included a reference to “God-given free will” as a reason to support individual liberty. When… Read more
New FIRE Video ‘Portraits of Terror’ Takes on Censorship of Art Examining Palestinian Terrorism
September 27, 2010
Today FIRE unveils the second video in our series examining censorship of hot-button issues on college campuses. Our new video, Portraits of Terror, tells the story of artist Joshua Stulman, whose exhibit of the same name was censored at Penn State University in 2006 by two professors who claimed that the art violated Penn State’s… Read more
Portraits of Terror
September 27, 2010
The case of Joshua Stulman, a student artist censored by Penn State administrators for presenting a satirical exhibition about terrorism in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank. [iframe src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/y_Sea_uGgHk”]
Censorship of Anti-Terrorism Art Exhibit Documented in New FIRE Video
September 27, 2010
PHILADELPHIA, September 27, 2010—A new short film by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) documents the experience of Penn State student artist Joshua Stulman, whose “Portraits of Terror” art exhibit was censored by the university because it satirized Islamic terrorism. Stulman is just one of numerous college students and faculty members who have… Read more
ADF’s David Hacker on Civility Codes as Speech Codes
August 12, 2010
Last week in The Christian Post, Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) Legal Counsel David J. Hacker took aim at an August 5, 2010, article titled "Rude Democracy" in Inside Higher Ed, written by Susan Herbst. Herbst discusses the perceived lack of civility in contemporary American discourse, both in the larger society and on university campuses, and argues that… Read more
University of Louisville Responds Admirably to FIRE Concerns about New Policies
January 25, 2010
Back in June, as Will wrote, the University of Louisville was inviting comment about proposed changes to the school’s Code of Conduct, including a new Values Statement. FIRE was invited to review the drafts of the new policies by a faculty member concerned about possible violations of individual rights. We communicated a few comments and… Read more
Rights in the News: Recent Victories and Ongoing Speech Code Efforts Continue to Get FIRE’s Message Across
February 6, 2009
For yet another week, word of FIRE’s efforts has reverberated throughout the national and online press. As Azhar noted earlier today, Greg’s latest column for The Huffington Post expresses FIRE’s relief at the dropped "spamming" charges against Michigan State University junior Kara Spencer, but also notes our concern that the online policy Spencer was initially… Read more
University at Buffalo Responds to Speech Code of the Month Inquiry
January 30, 2009
FIRE supporter and New York state resident Lee Brink recently wrote to University at Buffalo (also known as SUNY-Buffalo) President John Simpson to ask about the university residence halls’ Statement of Civility, which FIRE named our Speech Code of the Month for January 2009. The Statement of Civility provides that: Students are expected to act… Read more
Penn State Revises ‘Principles’ in Victory for Free Speech
January 30, 2009
In response to Pennsylvania State University being named FIRE’s Speech Code of the Month for September 2008, Penn State President Graham Spanier agreed to change the preamble to the Penn State Principles to clarify that protected expression will not be prohibited, investigated, or punished on campus. We wrote President Spanier to inform him of Penn… Read more
FIRE’s Adam Kissel to Speak at Penn State University This Thursday
December 9, 2008
Adam Kissel, director of FIRE’s Individual Rights Defense Program, will be giving a talk at Pennsylvania State University this Thursday. He has been invited to speak by CFN member Thomas Shakely, and his lecture is sponsored by the PSU student group Safeguard Old State. Adam’s free public lecture, “Liberty in Peril: Speech Codes on our Nation’s… Read more
Speech Code of the Month: Pennsylvania State University
September 2, 2008
FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for September 2008: Pennsylvania State University. Penn State owes this undesirable distinction to the Penn State Principles, a set of behavioral guidelines that “[i]t is understood that members of the Penn State community agree to abide by…to ensure that Penn State is a thriving environment for living… Read more
‘USA Today’ Education Reporter Launches Higher Ed Blog: Penn State and FIRE Are Hot Topics
December 11, 2007
I was just contacted by reporter Mary Beth Marklein from USA Today about a post on her new blog regarding issues in higher education. For those of you unfamiliar with her work, Mary Beth has written some excellent articles over the years highlighting speech codes and campus free speech controversies. Today she wanted to get… Read more
Penn State’s Student Newspaper Advocates Policy Revision for Free Speech
November 28, 2007
Today’s edition of Penn State’s Daily Collegian features a compelling staff editorial titled “PSU should revise free speech policy.” The editorial focuses on Penn State’s idea, in the “Penn State Principles,” that all Penn State members, simply by being a part of the community, pledge not to “engage in any behaviors that compromise or demean… Read more
Free Speech Yet at Penn State?
November 14, 2007
Today’s Daily Collegian, Penn State’s student newspaper, ran a story by Lauren McCormack on FIRE’s review and reaffirmation of Penn State’s “red light” speech code rating. Red light schools have at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech. The story, “PSU free speech comes under ‘fire,’” highlights FIRE’s concern with… Read more
Free Speech under Attack during Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week
October 25, 2007
This week, as the Terrorism Awareness Project provides speakers at college campuses in order to increase awareness about terrorism of the Muslim extremist variety, the predictable has come to pass: speakers have been prevented by protesters from enjoying their freedom of speech. At Emory University, David Horowitz’s lecture ended prematurely when audience members refused to… Read more
FIRE Remembers September 11
September 11, 2007
Today, FIRE joins individuals across America and around the world in reflecting upon the tragic events of September 11, 2001. As university students and professors from Maine to California host commemorations today to remember those who suffered and died six years ago, we take a moment to look back at how those events played out… Read more
Student Suing Penn State for Art Censorship
June 21, 2007
Last April we reported that Penn State censored student Josh Stulman’s senior art exhibit, “Portraits of Terror,” which depicted Palestinian violence in Israeli settlements. Penn State’s reasons for canceling the exhibit ten days before it was set to open were that the exhibit “did not promote cultural diversity or opportunities for democratic dialogue.” On… Read more
Sliding Down the Slippery Facebook.com Slope
April 4, 2007
This morning, I nearly choked on my coffee when I read a story in The Daily Collegian that discussed a demand from the NCAA and PSU to a student to shutdown a Facebook.com group that advocated for a prospective student athlete to attend Penn State. According to the article, the student creator of the group, John… Read more
Election Day on Campus
November 7, 2006
While most universities nominally encourage students’ political activism, several universities have undermined students’ attempts to voice their political opinions in the weeks leading up to the midterm elections. Lafayette College President Daniel Weiss cancelled a scheduled visit to campus by Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann, who was invited to speak on campus by… Read more
Update on Student Government at Penn State
October 13, 2006
In March, FIRE discussed the dubious actions of the Penn State administration in abolishing the student government and replacing it with a weaker version that was supposed to be more functional. Elections for the new student government, UPUA, were held earlier this week and the newly elected UPUA president recently discussed his feelings about the… Read more
What 9/11 Taught Us About Academia
September 11, 2006
Today, FIRE joins the rest of the nation in remembering the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Five years ago, the events of 9/11 highlighted—in a very ugly way—just how out of touch many universities are with the American public. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when much of America was still in mourning, a… Read more
Penn State: Pulling the Wool over Your Eyes
May 25, 2006
Today, in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Penn State attempted to play damage control after significantly altering two patently unconstitutional policies. In what is probably the lamest justification for doing so, the Penn State tried to claim that, “These changes do appear to match up well with the interests of the plaintiff…but the revision would… Read more
Penn State Settles Lawsuit
May 22, 2006
Today, the Alliance Defense Fund announced that it has settled a portion of its lawsuit against Penn State, which agreed to drop its speech code and clarify other policies. Congratulations to ADF and to our former president and Legal Network attorney David French! Penn State did the right thing by settling the lawsuit and… Read more
Did Penn State Rescind Its Speech Code?
May 22, 2006
While being faced with a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of several university policies, Penn State University appears to have rescinded its speech codes. Sometime over the weekend, with no announcement, Penn State changed two of its policies that were cited in the lawsuit. Penn State’s “AD29 Statement on Intolerance“ no longer bans attitude,… Read more
Brandeis Takes a Stab at Art Censorship
May 3, 2006
Israeli–Palestinian art is the subject of more controversy this week, this time at Brandeis University. As an article in today’s Boston Globe (membership required) explains, Brandeis pulled an exhibit by Israeli student Lior Halperin, who arranged for Palestinian teenagers to paint images that would bring the Palestinian point of view to the Brandeis campus. The… Read more
That Exhibit Is Going to Go Up
April 26, 2006
Penn State leaders have reversed the School of Visual Arts’ decision to censor the exhibit of Josh Stulman. The Daily Collegian reports that at a University Faculty Senate meeting yesterday, Penn State President Graham Spanier said, “That exhibit is going to go up. The offer has been extended and may be displayed this spring or… Read more
Penn State Gets It Wrong
April 25, 2006
Pennsylvania State University administrators are again trampling the rights of their students. On Friday, The Daily Collegian, the campus student newspaper, reported [Link updated by FIRE on 9/27/10 due to disappearance of article on original website] that Penn State’s School of Visual Arts cancelled the opening of a student’s exhibit. Staff writer Jessica Remitz reports:… Read more
Penn State: Do the Right Thing
April 20, 2006
Recently, Penn State University sent out a press release discussing an event called “Illegal Immigration Awareness Day” being planned by the College Republicans. Although provocative, the event itself is not the interesting part. What is notable are the comments made by the administration concerning the students’ right to hold the event. Terrell Jones, Vice Provost… Read more
Penn State to Address the Nuisance of Democracy
March 21, 2006
Americans have long considered liberty and democracy the twin essentials for maintaining a free society. At Penn State, administrators are working their hardest to eliminate both of them. When it comes to liberty, Penn State has been deficient for some time. The institution has earned a red light rating on FIRE’s Spotlight for its unconstitutional… Read more
The Price of Dissent at Penn State
March 3, 2006
Penn State University, which has already been sued for its unconstitutional speech codes, is now further trampling student rights by threatening to dissolve and replace the self-functioning, independent student organization Undergraduate Student Government (USG) with a new student government called the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA). Although the matter is rather complicated, a group called… Read more
There Is No Such Thing as ‘Hate Speech’
February 24, 2006
Yes, that is correct. “Hate speech” is not a category of speech recognized under current constitutional law. It is merely a convenient way to pigeonhole speech that some people find offensive. But what is very troubling is when people begin to treat “hate speech” as unprotected speech. For example, a student leader at Penn State,… Read more
Free Speech Lawsuits Filed Against Penn State and Temple
February 23, 2006
There’s some good news for students at some of Pennsylvania’s biggest public institutions this week—your institutions just got one step closer to protecting free speech instead of suppressing it. FIRE Legal Network attorney (and former president) David French, now working with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), has filed a nine-count First Amendment lawsuit against Penn… Read more
Phi Beta Kappa Should Prove Its Commitment to Free Speech: Part 2
January 30, 2006
In a Wall Street Journal article published earlier this month, writer Daniel Golden tackled the explicitly evangelical Wheaton College, which recently fired a professor for converting to Catholicism. In that article, Golden mentions that the honor society Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) objects to colleges’ violations of free speech and open inquiry. He wrote: Phi Beta… Read more
FIRE’s Mitchell in the Harrisburg ‘Patriot-News’
January 5, 2006
An important column by FIRE Program Officer Charles Mitchell appears today in the Harrisburg Patriot-News. In response to Rep. Dan Surra’s comment that the Pennsylvania Legislature’s Select Committee on Student Academic Freedom, a committee on which Surra serves, is a “colossal waste of time,” Charles argues for the necessity of the committee. He highlights three… Read more
Speech codes make universities intolerant
January 5, 2006
Have you ever known a legislator who didn’t think his job was terribly important?Imagine the campaign slogan: “Elect me, because who really cares?” Or the direct-mail letters: “It’d be nice if you sent me a donation — but it doesn’t really matter.” The very concept is ridiculous. But apparently someone forgot to tell that to… Read more
Letter from Penn State President Graham B. Spanier to FIRE, October 28, 2001
October 28, 2001
October 28, 2001 Alan Charles Kors President Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Inc. 437 Chestnut Street, Suite 200 Philadelphia, PA 19106 Dear Mr. Kors: Thank you for writing to express your concerns related to First Amendment rights at Pennsylvania State University. As you well know, as a public university we cherish our role as… Read more
FIRE Letter to Penn State University President Graham Spanier, October 24, 2001
October 24, 2001
October 24, 2001 Graham B. Spanier President Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802 Re: Professor Stephen G. Simpson Dear President Spanier: As you know, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of liberty,… Read more
Letter from Penn State YAF Chairman Jeffery A. Budney FIRE, April 10, 2001
April 10, 2001
Dear Mr. Kors: On behalf of Penn State Young Americans for Freedom and all who value liberty in Happy Valley I would like to thank you and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education for your help in our recent dispute with our university’s administration. The support you and your staff provided to us in… Read more
FIRE Secures the Rights of Penn State’s Young Americans for Freedom
March 26, 2001
PHILADELPHIA—A student group at Penn State University (PSU) won a momentous victory when the University reversed a ruling of the student government that had stripped the group’s constitution and mission statement of words found to be “discriminatory.” The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) urgently brought the case to the attention of Penn State’s… Read more
Letter from Penn State President Graham B. Spanier to FIRE, March 12, 2001
March 12, 2001
March 12, 2001 Dear Mr. Kors: Thank you for your recent letter regarding your concerns about Penn State’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom. As you know, I have been out of town until today. I was not aware of the recent decision made by the Undergraduate Student Government.However, upon reviewing information provided by our… Read more