University of Maine at Fort Kent

Location: Fort Kent, Maine
Website: http://www.umfk.maine.edu
Type: Public
Federal Circuit: 1st Circuit

Tell University of Maine at Fort Kent to revise its speech policies by filling out this form.

Speech Code Rating

University of Maine at Fort Kent 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 here.

At present, FIRE has not been involved in any cases at this school.
Yellow Light Policies

  • University of Maine System Student Conduct Code

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: August 15, 2017

    Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when … such conduct interferes with an individual’s academic or work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive employment, educational, or living environment.

    […]

    Discriminatory Harassment: Harassment or discrimination based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status.

    » Read More

  • University Policies: Solicitation Policy

    Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
    Last updated: August 15, 2017

    Posters must be free of profanity, pornography, hate speech, speech that insights [sic] hate or violence or other threatening speech. All advertisements must adhere to the UMFK policies related to the advertisement of alcohol-related events

    » Read More

  • Student Handbook: Posters/Advertising

    Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
    Last updated: August 15, 2017

    Signs, notices and poster content should be cleared with the Student Services Office before being placed on display. Posters must be posted on appropriate bulletin boards around campus. Posters attached to walls, windows or doors will be removed by maintenance staff. Individuals or organizations sponsoring a particular poster or notice are responsible for removing the poster after the event has occurred. Posters with inappropriate content or content that does not follow UMFK policies will be removed by Student Services personnel (see Alcohol Policies). Certain activities may not be advertised on campus.

    » Read More

  • Brochure: Sexual Harassment at the University of Maine System

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: August 15, 2017

    Sexual harassment may be blatant … [o]r sexual harassment may be more subtle — like staring, sexual jokes, or teasing, sexually demeaning remarks.

    » Read More

  • University of Maine System Student Conduct Code

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: August 15, 2017

    Harassment or Intimidation: Unwelcome behavior that creates a hostile or intimidating working, educational, or living environment or behavior that unreasonably interferes with an individual’s academic or job performance and opportunities.

    » Read More

  • University Policies: Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Relationship Violence, Stalking and Retaliation

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: August 15, 2017

    Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, including sexual assault and sexual violence. Sexual harassment, including sexual assault, can involve persons of the same or opposite sex. Consistent with the law, this policy prohibits two types of sexual harassment:

    …

    Hostile Environment: Sexual harassment that creates a hostile environment is based on sex and exists when the harassment:

    i. Is severe, pervasive, or persistent, and objectively offensive such that it denies or limits a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from the University’s programs, services, opportunities, or activities; or

    ii. Unreasonably interferes with an individual’s academic or work performance.
    A hostile environment can be created by anyone involved in a University program or activity, such as an administrator, faculty or staff member, student, or campus guest. Offensiveness alone is not enough to create a hostile environment. Although repeated incidents increase the likelihood that a hostile environment has been created, a single serious incident, such as a sexual assault, can be sufficient.

    Determining whether conduct creates a hostile environment depends not only on whether the conduct was unwelcome to the person who feels harassed, but also whether a reasonable person in a similar situation would have perceived the conduct as objectively offensive. The following factors will also be considered:

    a) The degree to which the conduct affected one or more students’ education or individual’s employment;
    b) The nature, scope, frequency, duration, and location of the incident(s);
    c) The identity, number, and relationships of persons involved;
    d) The nature of higher education.

    » Read More

Green Light Policies

  • Board of Trustees Policy Manual: Section 212 Free Speech, Academic Freedom, and Civility

    Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
    Last updated: August 15, 2017

    The Board of Trustees affirms that a fundamental purpose of public higher education is free inquiry—the unfettered and relentless pursuit and dissemination of truth—and that within the academy, free inquiry is indistinguishable from one’s freedom to inquire, present, discuss, and evaluate all matters relevant to the pursuit of truth without constraint, or fear of constraint, in the performance of one’s teaching, research, publishing or service obligations.

    […]

    Although members of the University community are free to criticize and contest views expressed by others on campus—indeed, a guiding premise of free inquiry is that truth is more likely to be discovered if the opportunity exists for the free exchange of opposing opinions no member of the University community may obstruct or otherwise interfere with another’s freedom of speech, even if he or she disagrees with, opposes, or even loathes the other’s views.

    » Read More

At present, FIRE does not maintain information on this school's policies.

  • Proposed University of Maine System policy unduly restricts faculty political activity

    January 17, 2018

    The University of Maine System Board of Trustees will consider a policy revision at a meeting later this month that would restrict how university employees engage in political activity. The policy, called “Institutional Authority on Political Matters,” unnecessarily restricts faculty political expression and needs some revisions before being adopted. For example, the policy would prevent faculty from using “UMS or university . . . computers, copiers, email, UMS- or university-issued cell phones and other communications equipment . . .” when engaging in political activity. While it may be legitimate to prohibit employees from using university resources like copy paper and […]

    » Read More