School Spotlight
State University of New York – Albany
Speech Code Rating
Sexual Harassment Policy
Speech Code Rating: Red
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2019Sexual Harassment in the Educational Setting is defined as: Unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment of denies or limits, on the basis of sex, the p... Read MoreStudent Organization Protest Activity Planning
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2019Contact the Student Organization Resource Center (SORC) in Campus Center 110A and a staff member will contact you within 24 hours to discuss the proposed event. Full disclosure regarding the nature of the program is essential. In the event that the proposed activity is planned in direct response to a current event, ... Read MoreCommunity Rights and Responsibilities: Prohibited Conduct- Disruptive Conduct
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: August 26, 2019Impairing, interfering with or obstructing the orderly conduct, processes and functions of the University or surrounding community. This behavior includes, but is not limited to, excessive noise, abusive or obscene language in a public place … Read MoreResponsible Use of Information Technology
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2019Improper use includes, but is not limited to: unauthorized access to or misuse of network or electronic data in any form; the use of another’s computing account, circumventing network security measures; the use of University networks, computer resources or data for private, commercial or political purposes; harassme... Read MoreCommunity Rights and Responsibilities: Supplemental Policies & Information- Harassment
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2019Harassment is repetitive behaviors intended to bully, intimidate or insult another individual and can have a chilling effect on a person’s living and learning environment. Read MorePolicy for Freedom of Expression
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: August 26, 2019The University reaffirms its commitment to the principle that the widest possible scope for freedom of expression is the foundation of an institution dedicated to vigorous inquiry, robust debate, and the continuous search for a proper balance between freedom and order. The University seeks to foster an environment i... Read MoreCommunity Rights and Responsibilities: Prohibited Conduct- Harassment
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2019Conduct that is so pervasive or severe that it effectively denies the individual reasonable access to University resources or opportunities. Read MoreCommunity Rights and Responsibilities: Prohibited Conduct- Sexual Harassment
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: August 26, 2019Unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is sufficiently severe or pervasive to effectively alter or deny the individual reasonable access to University resources or that such conduct creates an intimidating, hostile or sexually offensive environment for learning, working or living on campus. Read More
University at Albany ‘coronavirus’-themed party video is protected by the First Amendment
February 21, 2020
A video that — and I apologize, but there’s no better way to put this — went viral has led the State University of New York at Albany, a public university, to issue a statement condemning students’ “coronavirus”-themed party and pledging to investigate any “misconduct.” The video, which has since been removed from the @BarstoolAlbany… Read more
Speech Code of the Month: SUNY Albany
January 25, 2017
FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for January 2017: the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY Albany). According to SUNY Albany’s Sexual Harassment Policy, “sexual harassment in the educational setting” is defined as “unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature,” including “verbal” conduct. This is an extremely broad definition that effectively… Read more
After Giving Accepted Students a Taste of Campus Censorship, SUNY Albany Recommits to Freedom of Expression
April 19, 2016
Every spring, colleges and universities across the country host accepted students and their families on campus tours to give them a sense of student life at their institutions. Sadly (though perhaps unsurprisingly, given trends elsewhere), a recent two-day open house at the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY Albany) gave accepted students the… Read more
Dorm Room Door Decorations Allowed… As Long as You Don’t Criticize the Food
October 14, 2009
FIRE is looking into this interesting case at SUNY Albany (University at Albany), where it has been reported that a student was ordered to remove from his dorm room door "a satirical representation of the definition of Chartwells food service" because it was said to be defacing campus property, while other students’ postings on their own… Read more
Second Circuit: Allocation of Mandatory Student Activity Fees Cannot Hinge on Advisory Referenda
November 26, 2007
Last week, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued an opinion in Amidon v. Student Ass’n of the State Univ. of N.Y., holding that the student government of the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY-Albany) cannot base allocation decisions about mandatory student activity fees upon the outcomes of student… Read more
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