University of Alaska Anchorage
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Website: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu
Type: Public
Federal Circuit: 9th Circuit
Speech Code Rating
University of Alaska Anchorage has been given the speech code rating Red. A red light university has at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech. Read more here.
Red Light Policies
Acceptable Use Policy
Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: February 8, 2018Users agree that they will not use any information resource to transmit or post the following content:
- Content that does not clearly identify the author or defames or threatens others;
- Statements that are bigoted, hateful or racially offensive;
- Content that discusses illegal activities with the intent to commit them;
- Content that infringes another’s intellectual property, including but not limited to, copyrights, trademarks or trade secrets;
- Material that contains vulgar or obscene language or images;
- Advertising or any form of commercial solicitation;
- Content related to partisan political activities;
- Excessive or unsolicited electronic mail;
- Copyrighted material, including without limitation software, graphics, text, photographs, sound, video and musical recordings without the express permission of the owner of the copyright in the material, or other legal entitlement to use the material (DMCA, Pub. L., No. 105-304, 112 Stat. 2860 [Oct. 28, 1998]).
Residence Life Community Standards: Posting Materials
Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
Last updated: February 8, 2018Posting materials that are easily visible to the general public that intentionally/unintentionally harm or incite others is prohibited.
Residence Life Community Standards: Civility
Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: February 8, 2018You are responsible for respecting the rights of all others in the residential community and acting with civility at all times. Civility means demonstrating mutual respect for all individuals on campus. This is inclusive of the interactions between students, student staff, and University administrators. Fighting, threats, and intimidation of any person for any reason will not be tolerated. You are responsible for developing and maintaining an atmosphere that promotes social awareness, social appreciation, and appreciation and support of those who may be different from you. It is an expectation that you actively participate in conflict resolution.
Office of Equity and Compliance: Sexual Assault or Sexual Harassment
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: February 8, 2018Hostile Environment
- Sexual conduct that interferes with an individual’s work or academic performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.
Sexual Harassment may include:
- Inappropriate jokes
- Inappropriate comments
- Unwelcome pressures for dates
- Touching, cornering, and pinching
- Attempts to kiss or fondle
- Threats
Regents’ Policy: Chapter 01.04 – Sexual and Gender-Based Discrimination
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: February 8, 2018“Hostile environment” is when discrimination under this sex and gender-based discrimination policy is sufficiently serious (i.e., severe, pervasive, or persistent) and is both subjectively and objectively offensive so as to deny or limit a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from the university’s programs, or to interfere with a university employee’s ability to perform the employee’s job.
[…]
Sex or gender-based harassment. This includes, but is not limited to, unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, unwanted and repetitive messages of a sexual nature, unsolicited and unwelcome transmission of images of a lewd or sexual nature, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature where: … the conduct creates a hostile environment.
Regents’ Policy: Chapter 09.02 – Student Rights and Responsibilities – Student Code of Conduct
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: February 8, 2018Harassment is defined as behavior that is severe, pervasive or persistent to a degree that a reasonable person similarly situated would be prevented from fully accessing educational benefits, university services, or other opportunities. Harassment is also defined as behavior that limits the ability of third parties to conduct business. This behavior includes, but is not limited to, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, and coercion (that is not speech or conduct otherwise protected by the First Amendment). In addition, harassment may be conducted in a variety of mediums, including, but not limited to, physical, verbal, graphic, written, or electronic.
[…]Examples include, but are not limited to: a. threats, defined as written or verbal conduct that causes a reasonable expectation of injury to the health or safety of any person or damage to any property; b. intimidation, defined as implied threats or acts that cause reasonable fear of harm in another; c. bullying, defined as repeated, unreasonable actions directed towards an individual (or a group) resulting in intimidating, degrading, humiliating, or undermining behavior that creates a risk to the health or safety of individuals; d. cyberbullying, defined as repeated, unreasonable actions using electronic communications that are directed towards an individual (or a group) resulting in intimidating, degrading, humiliating, or undermining behavior that creates a risk to the health or safety of individuals ….
Posting Policy
Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
Last updated: February 8, 2018All Materials Must: … Avoid the use of obscene or offensive language or illustrations and demonstrate sensitivity to social concerns, such as sexism and racism.
Dean of Students Office: Students Rights, Freedoms, and Responsibilities
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: February 8, 2018Students, as well as other members of the university community, enjoy the same constitutional and civil rights guaranteed all citizens …. The rights of free speech and peaceable assembly are fundamental to the democratic process. The University supports the rights of students of the University community to express their views and opinions on actions or ideas, to associate freely with others, and to assemble peacefully.
Regents’ Policy: Chapter 01.02 – General Provisions- Freedom of Speech
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: February 8, 2018An environment of free and honest inquiry is essential to the functioning and the mission of the university. The board and the university therefore acknowledge, affirm, and espouse the right of freedom of speech as guaranteed in the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Alaska. The essential purpose of the university is to engage in the pursuit of truth, the advancement of learning and the dissemination of knowledge. To achieve this purpose, all members of the university must be assured of the constitutionally protected right to question, speculate, and comment, as well as the right to criticize the university and society at large.
The university will not limit or abridge any individual’s constitutional right to free speech.
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Public Employees Petition NOAA to Amend Sea Grant Guidelines, Protect Faculty Speech
December 18, 2009
In October, FIRE reported on a controversy at the University of Alaska, where Professor Richard Steiner was removed from a $10,000 research grant administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Steiner filed a grievance against UA, charging that the university had removed him from the grant at NOAA’s urging, in retaliation for criticisms he had made about the oil industry. UA rejected Steiner’s allegations. As Will wrote here: From FIRE’s perspective, Steiner’s case is troubling and complex. Troubling, because it seems uncontested by either the NOAA or UA that the funding was removed from Steiner as a result […]
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