Saint Cloud State University: Thought Reform and Suppression of Free Speech

April 18, 2000

At Saint Cloud State University the campus newspaper, the University Chronicle quoted student Christopher Monson, who argued that a public university had obligations to public access and legal equality: it would be illegal not to allow such persons as credit card companies on campus, just as "not allowing blacks on campus" would be illegal. Four days later, SCSU President Suzanne Williams sent an e-mail message to the university community, writing that the student had made an "unfortunate analogy." The next day, President Williams announced, again by e-mail, that the offending student would be undergoing "sensitivity training" at the campus Multicultural […]

Residential Life Policy Handbook: Discrimination Policies

Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: September 8, 2017

[P]hysical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, coercion and other conduct which threatens the health or safety of any person will not be tolerated in our University housing communities.

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Residential Life Policy Handbook: Documentation and Disciplinary Meetings

Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: September 8, 2017

Any student directing verbally abusive language, insults, or derogatory statements toward a University staff member involved in the normal course of duties, including documentation of alleged violations, will face disciplinary action.

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Outdoor Space Policy

Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: September 8, 2017

PUBLIC EXPRESSION AREAS

St. Cloud State University recognizes the tradition of the “public square”; therefore, the university establishes the following outdoor areas for public expression:

• The mall between Atwood and the Performing Arts Center
• The mall area in front on the west side of Stewart Hall
• The mall on the west side of Administrative Services Building
• Plaza on the south side of the National Hockey Center
• Southwest plaza side of the Husky Stadium

Other outdoor areas may be available for public expression use after receiving approval in advance. Individuals or groups wishing to use any campus facilities other than the Public Expression areas must make arrangements through the office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration.

Public Expression areas, as designated above, are open to the public and do not require an advance reservation for use between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., however, notification of the intent to use the space is suggested in order to ensure that a location is available on a specific date and time. An application form for Use of Outdoor Space is available in the Supporting Documents section of this policy and procedure.

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Speech That Is Not Protected: The First Amendment to the United States Constitution does not protect speech or expression that threatens the health, safety or welfare of persons in the University community. Any speech that has the effect or is designed to inflict harm or cause a breach of the peace; incite an individual or individuals to commit a crime; threats to do harm; or speech that causes a panic is not considered protected speech. While the interpretation of these factors may be subjective, the University and its representatives must err on the side of caution in order to reasonably protect the University community members and property.

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Minnesota State Colleges & Universities: 1B.1 Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination in Employment and Education

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: September 8, 2017

Discriminatory harassment. Discriminatory harassment means verbal or physical conduct that is directed at an individual because of his or her protected class, and that is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or persistent so as to have the purpose or effect of creating a hostile work or educational environment.

As required by law, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities further defines sexual harassment as a form of sexual discrimination which is prohibited by state and federal law. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexually motivated physical conduct, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

1. Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment or education, evaluation of a student’s academic performance, or term or condition of participation in student activities or in other events or activities sanctioned by the college or university; or
2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or academic decisions or other decisions about participation in student activities or other events or activities sanctioned by the college or university; or
3. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of threatening an individual’s employment; interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance; or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment.

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Student Code of Conduct: Definitions- Harassment

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: September 8, 2017

Harassment means to engage in intentional conduct in which a person knows or has reason to know would cause a person under the circumstances to feel frightened, threatened, oppressed, persecuted, or intimidated.

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E-Mail Acceptable Use Guidelines

Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: September 8, 2017

Do not send abusive, threatening, or harassing materials.

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Student Code of Conduct: Prohibited Student Conduct

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: September 8, 2017

Intentionally, recklessly, or negligently threatening or endangering a person’s emotional, mental, or physical well-being, or causing fear of physical danger. This may occur through verbal abuse, stalking, hazing, intimidation, threats, harassment, sexual harassment, repeated phone calls, electronic messages, text messages, emails, or postings on social networking sites.

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Student Code of Conduct: Student Rights and Responsibilities

Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: September 8, 2017

Student freedoms and rights include, but are not limited to: Freedom of inquiry, speech and assembly.

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Times Writers Group: President’s speech had no purpose

October 5, 2007

St. Cloud Times   The president of , Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was recently invited to speak at Columbia University in New York City , an event from which controversy continues to stir. What would happen if St. Cloud State University or St. John’s University had a chance to host a terrorist, someone with whom we are at war? What if we had the opportunity to have Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il or Robert Mugabe speak here? Kathy Uradnik, a professor of political science at St. Cloud State, said, “The real issue is not whether there is or should be free speech as […]

FIRE Challenges Campus Judicial System, Political Correctness Organization Seeks to Rectify Perceived Injustices

December 1, 2000

Dean & Provost When students appear at disciplinary hearings, judicial affairs professionals may be playing with FIRE. Since the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Inc. opened its doors last year, it has challenged the way campuses govern their students. “At most universities, judicial systems are unaccountable kangaroo courts,” says Alan Charles Kors, director and co-founder of FIRE and a history professor at University of Pennsylvania. FIRE has already been involved in more than 100 cases of alleged campus violations of freedom of speech, legal equality, due process, and religious liberty at nearly 80 institutions. Kors believes campuses should be […]

Defending Free Thought and Expression

June 5, 2000

By John Silber Christopher Monson is a student at Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota. Recently the student newspaper quoted him as arguing that a state university had obligations to public access, and that banning credit card solicitors might have the same legal consequences as banning blacks. The president of SCSU, Suzanne Williams, took exception to this analogy, and sent an e-mail to all members of the SCSU community in which she announced that “the University finds the statement—intentional or not—to be demeaning and totally inappropriate. We are looking into the quote to determine the circumstances, and to take whatever […]

Righteous Idiocy

May 11, 2000

Genocide in the Classroom

May 4, 2000

Critics of Political Correctness Rise to Defense of Student Who Used Racial Analogy

April 26, 2000

Lawless University President Tramples the First Amendment

April 18, 2000

ST. CLOUD, MN—The president of St. Cloud State University (SCSU) was prosecutor, judge, and jury in an unconstitutional assault upon the free speech rights of an undergraduate student. Christopher Monson was quoted in the student newspaper in favor of allowing credit card companies to solicit on campus. His words, unacceptable to the PC language police, landed him in sensitivity training. On December 9, 1999, the SCSU campus newspaper, the University Chronicle quoted Monson, who argued that a public university had obligations to public access and legal equality: it would be illegal not to allow such persons on campus, just as […]