University of North Alabama

University of North Alabama: “Protocol” on Speaking With Media

November 27, 2018

UNA asserts an unwritten “protocol” barring staff members from speaking with the press.

Student Handbook: Harassment and Nondiscrimination Policy

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: March 13, 2018

Harassment is defined as behavior that involves an expressed or implied threat through gestures, mannerisms, and/or body language, to interfere with an individual’s personal safety, academic efforts, employment, or participation in university-sponsored extracurricular activities and causes the person to have a reasonable apprehension that such harm is about to occur; or that has the purpose or reasonably foreseeable effect of interfering with an individual’s personal safety, academic efforts, employment, or participation in university sponsored extracurricular activities and causes the person to have a reasonable apprehension that such harm is about to occur.

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It is the responsibility of all university students, faculty, staff, and administrators to assure that the university community is free from sexual harassment. Accordingly, all members of the university community must avoid any conduct that is or has the appearance of being sexual harassment. Examples of such behavior include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: … such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with a student’s academic performance or employment or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive learning or working environment that is severe, pervasive and objectively offensive.

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Code of Student Conduct: Unwelcome Harassment

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: March 13, 2018

[Unwelcome] Harassment. Any unwelcome conduct based on actual or perceived status including: [sex, gender, race, color, age, creed, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, veteran status, pregnancy status, religion, sexual orientation or other protected status]. Any unwelcome conduct should be reported to campus officials, who will act to remedy and resolve reported incidents on behalf of the victim and community.

a) Hostile Environment. Sanctions can and will be imposed for the creation of a hostile environment only when [unwelcome] harassment is sufficiently severe, pervasive (or persistent) and objectively offensive that it unreasonably interferes with, limits or denies the ability to participate in or benefit from the University’s educational or employment program or activities.

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This policy attempts to balance the need of the community to create a civil climate while also embracing the 1^st Amendment protection that attaches to most harassing speech that is simply offensive.

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Code of Student Conduct: Bullying and Cyberbullying

Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: March 13, 2018

Bullying and cyberbullying are repeated and/or severe aggressive behaviors that intimidate or intentionally harm or control another person physically or emotionally, and are not protected by freedom of expression.

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Title IX Definitions

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: March 13, 2018

Hostile environment is unwelcome conduct by an individual or individuals against another individual based upon her/ his protected class that is sufficiently severe or pervasive that it alters the conditions of education or employment and creates an environment that a reasonable person would find intimidating, hostile, or offensive.

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Sexual harassment is one type of sex discrimination under Title IX. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (www2.ed.gov/ocr) states that sexual harassment is “unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature”. That is, “any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature”.

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Student Handbook: Campus Speakers Policy

Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: March 13, 2018

The University of North Alabama is committed to fostering a learning environment in which free inquiry and expression are encouraged.

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Student Handbook: Campus Speakers Policy

Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: March 13, 2018

Lawful and peaceful demonstration as an expression is permitted and protected. On the other hand, the University will not tolerate substantial disruption to its educational mission. Substantial disruption is defined to include any activity which, contrary to law: … Constitutes “hate violence,” meaning any act of physical intimidation or physical harassment, physical force or physical violence, or the threat of physical force or physical violence, that is directed against any person or group, or the property of any person or group because of the ethnicity, race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or political or religious beliefs of that person or group. (Acts shall not be considered “hate violence” based on speech alone, except upon a showing that the speech itself threatens violence against a specific person or group, that the person or group against whom the threat is directed reasonably fears that the violence will be committed because of the speech, and that the person threatening violence had the apparent ability to carry out the threat.)

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FIRE calls for reinstatement of U. North Alabama newspaper adviser position

December 7, 2018

When a college or university receives two letters from FIRE in two weeks, it usually means one of two things is true: Either the school saw the error of its ways quickly and is getting praise, or it has engaged in such a compound series of indefensible actions that investigating one brings to light others. The University of North Alabama is getting a second letter, and not because it’s suddenly seen the light. New developments in the ongoing conflict between the University of North Alabama and its student newspaper, The Flor-Ala, have led to FIRE writing the university for the […]

North Alabama student journalists run blank front page after censorship attempt, earn praise from local newspaper

December 4, 2018

The University of North Alabama’s independent student newspaper ran a blank front page late last week to protest the retaliatory firing of their adviser. Now, the local newspaper is praising the students for “standing their ground under the protection of the First Amendment.” On Nov. 29, the staff of The Flor-Ala printed their bi-weekly issue with a blank front page consisting of only a nameplate, the index, and a single line: “[W]ithout a free press… this is what the paper would look like.” The striking statement came amid ongoing tensions between The Flor-Ala and UNA over the university’s firing of […]

University of North Alabama censured over treatment of student newspaper adviser; unwritten media ‘protocol’ earns written letter from FIRE

November 27, 2018

Yesterday, the College Media Association announced that its membership had voted to censure the University of North Alabama over its circumspect removal of a student newspaper adviser — a decision announced shortly after the university’s provost expressed displeasure over its media coverage. Today, FIRE is sending a letter to the university concerning a corollary threat to student journalists’ ability to speak to sources: an unwritten media “protocol” directing staff and faculty to ensure that statements to journalists have been “vetted” by administrators. Inside Higher Ed provides the background: The Flor-Ala newspaper ran a story in September about being denied personnel […]