University of California – Riverside

Location: Riverside, California
Website: http://www.ucr.edu
Type: Public
Federal Circuit: 9th Circuit

Speech Code Rating

University of California – Riverside 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

  • Title IX/Sexual Harassment Office: What is Sexual Harassment?

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: March 18, 2016

    Sexual Harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical contact of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment is conduct that explicitly or implicitly affects a person’s employment or education or interferes with a person’s work or educational performance or creates an environment such that a reasonable person would find the conduct intimidating, hostile, or offensive.

    …

    Some examples of harassing behavior include, but are not limited to:

    • Insults, name-calling, and offensive jokes;
    • Intimidating words or actions;
    • Unwelcome or inappropriate touching;
    • Sexually suggestive remarks or gestures;
    • Unsolicited pornographic materials;
    • Obscene messages (via text or computer);
    • Pressure for sexual activity or a date; and
    • Sexual assault and rape

    » Read More

Yellow Light Policies

  • University of California Campus Climate

    Speech Code Category: Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
    Last updated: March 18, 2016

    If you experience or observe behavior that is inconsistent with our Principles of Community, please report it.

    You may report in a variety of ways:

    *Report anonymously or by name, via this Campus Climate page, by selecting the University of California campus where the incident occurred from the list to the right and clicking “Continue”.
    * Report anonymously to an appropriate campus office, based on the nature of the incident. Please refer to the website for the campus where the incident occurred.
    * Report anonymously via your campus’ Bias Reporting page, by selecting your campus from the Local Bias Reporting menu above. If your campus does not appear on this list, there is no local reporting form available. Please use this form, instead.
    * File a report with your Campus Police Department, via the Campus Police menu above.

    …

    Expressions of Bias: A general communication not directed toward a particular individual, which disparages a group of people on the basis of some characteristic ….

    …

    Hate Speech: Hate speech is any speech, gesture or conduct, writing, or display that may incite violence or prejudicial action against someone based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, gender, gender identity, ethnicity ….

    » Read More

  • Residence Hall Handbook: Computing Policies- Online Harassment

    Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
    Last updated: March 18, 2016

    E-mail spamming and other forms of abuse or harassment are not permitted. This includes the use of the network to connect to and use 3rd-party sites (i.e. MySpace, Facebook, etc.) for the purpose of abuse and/or harassment.

    » Read More

  • Residence Hall Handbook: Student Conduct Policies – Disorderly Conduct

    Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
    Last updated: March 18, 2016

    Lewd, indecent, or obscene conduct or expression (including oral, visual, and other means), is prohibited. Viewing of sexually explicit materials or engaging in sexual acts in common areas is not permitted.

    » Read More

  • Residence Hall Handbook: Student Conduct Policies- Abuse, Threatening Behavior, Harassment, Stalking and Violence

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: March 18, 2016

    Direct and indirect forms of abuse, threats, coercion, harassment, intimidation, stalking, bullying, unwanted personal contact, violence against another person or their property or causing the reasonable apprehension of physical or verbal harm, are prohibited. This policy includes but, is not limited to, physical, electronic, written, and verbal interactions.

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  • UCR Principles of Community

    Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
    Last updated: March 18, 2016

    We as members of the University of California, Riverside affirm our responsibility and commitment to creating and fostering a respectful, cooperative, professional and courteous campus environment. Implicit in this mutual respect is the right of each of us to live, study, teach, and work free from harassment or denigration on the basis of race/ethnicity, age, religious or political preference, gender, transgender, sexual orientation, nation of origin, or physical abilities. Any violation of this right by verbal or written abuse, threats, harassment, intimidation, or violence against person or property will be considered a violation of the principles of community that are an integral part of the University of California’s focus, goals, and mission (and subject to sanction according to University policies and procedures).

    » Read More

  • Policy Number: 700-70: Speech and Advocacy

    Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
    Last updated: March 18, 2016

    On University grounds open to the public generally, all persons may exercise the constitutionally protected rights of free expression speech, assembly, worship and distribution and sale of non-commercial literature incidental to the exercise of these freedoms. … “Areas open to the public generally” are defined as the outdoor paved walkways on the campus.

    Any pre-advertised activity, activity requiring sound amplification, or activity which can reasonably be expected to attract a crowd of 25 or more must be scheduled in advance in the Scheduling Office, and is limited to the Tower Mall or Speaker’s Mound area.

    » Read More

  • Policy Number 700-50: Posting Regulations

    Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
    Last updated: March 18, 2016

    All materials to be posted on bulletin boards and kiosks must be no larger than 8 1/2″ x 11″. Materials must clearly bear the name of the sponsoring organization or department, and must be stamped “MEETS UC RIVERSIDE POSTING POLICY” in the Campus Activities Office.

    » Read More

Green Light Policies

  • Standards of Conduct: Harassment

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: March 18, 2016

    Harassment, defined as conduct that is so severe and/or pervasive, and objectively offensive, and that so substantially impairs a person’s access to University programs or activities that the person is effectively denied equal access to the University’s resources and opportunities.

     

    » Read More

  • University of California Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: March 18, 2016

    Sexual Harassment is unwelcome sexual advances, unwelcome requests for sexual favors, and other unwelcome verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: … such conduct is sufficiently severe or pervasive that it unreasonably denies, adversely limits, or interferes with a person’s participation in or benefit from the education, employment or other programs and services of the University and creates an environment that a reasonable person would find to be intimidating or offensive.

    » Read More

  • Some colleges need to take free-speech classes, according to survey

    December 21, 2012

    The Watchdog Blog Many of America’s colleges appear to need to take a few courses in free speech. More than 60 percent of the 400-plus colleges and universities studied by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education have policies that restrict students’ First Amendment rights. In a report released this week, FIRE also raised concern over federal and state regulations governing bullying and harassment that the report labeled sloppily written and implemented. To be fair, FIRE acknowledged that the number of schools with “red light” free-speech codes has declined for the fifth straight year. And more schools eliminated their restrictive speech policies in 2012, earning […]

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  • UC Riverside Student Government Resolves to Reform Free Speech Policy; FIRE to Help

    November 7, 2013

    Some good is beginning to come from the fiasco at Modesto Junior College, where administrators stopped student Robert Van Tuinen from distributing copies of the Constitution on Constitution Day because he had not booked the campus’ “free speech area” five days in advance. As reported by University of California, Riverside students Sandy Van and Winnie Jeng in the Highlander, the Associated Students of UC Riverside (ASUCR), the school’s student government, cited the Modesto incident as a motivating force behind the recently introduced “Resolution to Revise Policies Limiting Student Speech and Assembly.” In a “pre-emptive” move, ASUCR wants to be sure that the administrators at UC Riverside […]

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  • UC Riverside: Told You So

    December 15, 2011

    Just two weeks ago, writing about free speech in the University of California system, I noted: UC Riverside‘s policy with the misleading name “Freedom of Speech in Promoting Events and Organizations” states that “[P]ublicity should not contain … violent images or language against individuals or groups” and goes even further to state, “When considering forms of expression to promote your organization or event, check to make sure … [t]he expression does not portray negative or belittling images of others.”  This is an unconstitutional threat to free speech. UC Riverside students are not allowed to, say, portray UC Davis Lieutenant John […]

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  • University of California Schools Flout Student Speech Rights

    November 29, 2011

    While some University of California schools are facing scrutiny due to their handling of students’ exercises of free speech and civil disobedience, others in the system have unfinished business protecting students’ free speech rights in their policies. All eight of the UC universities reviewed by FIRE have “red light” or “yellow light” ratings for restricting campus speech, and four of them have flouted UC President Mark Yudof’s 2009 directive to protect free speech in their policies regarding discriminatory harassment. UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Cruz all have been rated by FIRE with a red light for […]

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  • Fraternities Must Stand Up to Schools’ Squelching Free Speech

    October 11, 2004

    While there is no shortage of free-speech battles on college campuses, fraternities have the dubious honor of being at the center of many of the least-sympathetic controversies. From Halloween parties where brothers show up dressed as Ku Klux Klan members to fraternity newsletters that graphically relate a brother’s sexual exploits with named co-eds, fraternities sometimes express themselves in ways that are not exactly likely to win the battle for hearts and minds. However, although fraternities later may regret the actions of some of their brothers, they must not allow their rights to be stripped away by overzealous or opportunistic administrators. […]

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  • Practical Advice for Fraternities Caught in the Battle for Free Speech on Campus

    September 16, 2004

    I. Introduction While there is no shortage of free speech battles on college campuses, fraternities have the dubious honor of being at the center of many of the least sympathetic controversies. From Halloween parties where brothers show up dressed as Ku Klux Klan members to fraternity newsletters that graphically relate a brother’s sexual exploits with named co-eds, fraternities sometimes express themselves in ways that are not exactly likely to win the battle for hearts and minds. However, although fraternities may later regret the actions of some of their brothers, they must not allow their rights to be stripped away by […]

    » Read More