University of Massachusetts – Boston
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Website: https://www.umb.edu/
Type: Public
Federal Circuit: 1st Circuit
Speech Code Rating
University of Massachusetts – Boston 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.
Student Code of Conduct: Sexual Harassment
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: September 29, 2017c. Sexual harassment: unwelcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when: … 3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or academic environment. (See http://www.umb.edu/odi/
polices/). Examples of sexual harassment include, but are not limited to the following behaviors when they are unwelcome or unwanted, and are both objectively and subjectively offensive:
• sexual flirtations, advances or propositions;
• verbal abuse or innuendo of a sexual nature;
• uninvited physical contact such as touching, hugging, patting, brushing or pinching;
• verbal comments of a sexual nature about an individual’s body or sexual terms used to describe an individual;
• display of sexually suggestive pictures, posters or cartoons;
• jokes, language, epithets or remarks of a sexual nature;
• making obscene gestures or suggestive or insulting sounds;
• demand for sexual favors accompanied by an implied or overt threat concerning an individual’s employment or academic status indecent exposure
Student Code of Conduct: Standards of Conduct
Speech Code Category: Other Speech Codes
Last updated: September 29, 2017Creating an off-campus community disturbance, including, but not limited to, excessive or unreasonable noise, excessively large parties, and/or rude and abusive language or behavior.
University Policy on Sexual Harassment
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: September 29, 2017For purposes of this policy and consistent with federal regulations, sexual harassment is defined as follows:
Unwelcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when: … such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or academic environment.
Information Technology: Acceptable Use
Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: September 29, 2017Many people and organizations, local and distant, use University resources. Within this document we refer to this collective group as clients. This document is intended to tell clients what they can expect from Information Technology and what Information Technology expects from them.
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Information Technology clients must not use University resources to harass others. This is considered a serious offense which Information Technology will pursue according to University regulations. Information Technology considers displaying or sending of un-requested, objectionable (as defined by the recipient) material to others to be harassment.
Guidelines for Responses to Demonstrations on University Property
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: September 29, 2017The University of Massachusetts recognizes the rights of members of the University community to freedom of assembly and speech, and strongly believes in fostering discourse and the free exchange of ideas at the University.
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Demonstrations are limited to appropriate public forums, which do not include, among other locations, faculty and administrative offices, classrooms and other instructional facilities. (Public forums are locations which by tradition or policy are available for public assembly and speech—such as a student union lobby where students have traditionally gathered to debate issues.)
