School Spotlight

University of Illinois Springfield

Location: Springfield, Illinois
Type: Public
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Speech Code Rating

University of Illinois Springfield 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. Read more

  • Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources Policy Agreement

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
    Last updated: August 24, 2020

    All users must refrain from the following activities: … Using computing facilities to send obscene, abusive, threatening, defamatory, or harassing messages. Read More

  • Residence Life Community Handbook: Verbal Abuse

    Speech Code Rating: Yellow
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: August 24, 2020

    Any verbal abuse, harassment, or intimidation of staff will be documented and subject to disciplinary action. Read More

  • Student Conduct Code

    Speech Code Rating: Green
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: August 24, 2020

    The following categories of conduct are specifically prohibited and may form the basis for disciplinary action: A. Violence, the threat of violence, harassment, or intimidation directed against another person or persons. Read More

  • Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Policy Appendix

    Speech Code Rating: Green
    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: August 24, 2020

    Title IX Sexual Harassment. Title IX Sexual Harassment is conduct on the basis of sex that satisfies one or more of the following: Unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to a UIS education program or a... Read More

  • Repression of Political Speech and Activity Abounds on College Campuses in 2008

    December 24, 2008

    In an election year when the presidential race between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain dominated much of the country’s attention and media headlines, college and university campuses were certainly not immune to election fever. University students and faculty across the nation joined in the multitude of voices advocating for, criticizing, protesting, and otherwise commenting… Read more

  • Weekly Media Round-up: FIRE’s Policy Statement on Political Activity a Needed Voice of Reason on Campus

    October 17, 2008

    As Will wrote here on The Torch this Wednesday, FIRE released its 2008 Policy Statement on Political Activity on Campus this week. FIRE’s Policy Statement comes on the heels of controversial restrictions on protected political expression at such institutions as the University of Illinois, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Texas at Austin,… Read more

  • With Election Weeks Away, Political Speech Under Attack on America’s Campuses

    October 15, 2008

    PHILADELPHIA, October 15, 2008—With the presidential race between John McCain and Barack Obama the focus of national attention, political speech on our nation’s campuses has come under sharp attack. In recent weeks, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has investigated open and blatant attacks on political expression at colleges and universities across the… Read more

  • Stanley Fish Misunderstands FIRE on Illinois ‘Buttons’ Controversy

    October 14, 2008

    Although Stanley Fish says he agrees with FIRE most of the time, in his New York Times blog on Sunday he disagreed with us on the issue of a memo from the University of Illinois that banned university faculty from engaging in political activity on campus such as attending political rallies—even when they were off… Read more

  • National Attention Continues for FIRE’s Work at Illinois

    October 8, 2008

    We blogged last week about the Chicago Tribune‘s coverage of FIRE’s letter in defense of political expression at the three University of Illinois (UI) campuses, where a memo circulated by UI’s ethics office banned a wide variety of political expression on campuses—down to the bumper stickers on the cars of UI faculty and staff. Instead… Read more

  • University of Illinois Responds to Widespread Complaints Against Ban on Political Activity

    October 6, 2008

    FIRE, the ACLU, the AAUP, the National Association of Scholars, and the Illinois Association of Scholars all agree that the recent statement by the University of Illinois Ethics Office went too far in banning political expression and participation on University of Illinois campuses. Here is the response from University of Illinois president B. Joseph White… Read more

  • ‘Chicago Tribune’ Highlights FIRE’s Work Defending Political Speech

    October 3, 2008

    An article in today’s edition of the Chicago Tribune further investigates the outrage among many at the University of Illinois over the September 2008 edition of Ethics Matter, a “newsletter from the University of Illinois Ethics Office.” The memo, which has caused widespread outrage among faculty, suggests that a whole host of political activity is… Read more

  • University of Illinois Bans Wide Variety of Political Activity by Faculty

    September 25, 2008

    The blogosphere and other media are lighting up in response to a memo circulated to faculty and staff of the University of Illinois by its University Ethics Office. The policy bans a wide variety of political activity on university property, including such research as "surveying or conducting an opinion poll related to anticipating an election… Read more