School Spotlight
University of Notre Dame
Location:
Notre Dame, Indiana
Type:
Private
Speech Code Rating
University of Notre Dame 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.
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Responsible Use of Information Technologies at Notre Dame
Speech Code Rating: Red
Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: April 8, 2021Never use University resources to post, view, print, store, or send obscene, pornographic, sexually explicit, or offensive material, except for officially approved, legitimate academic or University purposes. Read MoreDuLac: Student Activities Policies- Use of University Grounds
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: April 8, 2021The Student Activities Office reserves and facilitates the use of University grounds, the lakes, and property adjoining the University. Requests for use of University grounds by recognized student groups must be initiated through the Student Activities Office. Read MorePolicy on Discriminatory Harassment, Sexual Harassment, and Other Sex-Based Misconduct
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: April 9, 2021Nothing in this Policy restricts the University’s right to address and take appropriate action with respect to conduct that, while not meeting the definitions of conduct prohibited by this Policy, is nevertheless inconsistent with the University’s value of respect for others. … Discriminatory Harassment is (1)... Read MoreDuLac: Standards of Conduct
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: April 8, 2021The following actions and behaviors are clearly inconsistent with the University’s expectations for membership in this community. Abusive or harassing behavior, including unwelcome communication Actions which seemingly affect only the individual(s) involved but which may have a negative or disruptive impact on the ... Read MoreDuLac: Student Activities Policies- Advertising, Posters and Announcement of Activities
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
Last updated: April 8, 2021Recognized student groups may use University bulletin boards to announce and advertise activities. All recognized student group print materials must receive a stamp from the Student Activities Office indicating the group is a recognized student group and that the event has been approved. The name of the recognized ... Read MorePolicy on Discriminatory Harassment, Sexual Harassment, and Other Sex-Based Misconduct: Sexual Harassment
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: April 9, 2021Sexual Harassment as defined and prohibited in this Policy includes 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 the Univer... Read MoreDuLac: University of Notre Dame Mission Statement
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: April 8, 2021As a Catholic university one of its distinctive goals is to provide a forum where through free inquiry and open discussion the various lines of Catholic thought may intersect with all the forms of knowledge found in the arts, sciences, professions, and every other area of human scholarship and creativity. … [T... Read MoreDuLac: Student Activities Policies- Open Speaker Policy
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: April 8, 2021Notre Dame students and recognized student groups are free to examine and discuss all questions of interest to them, and to express opinions publicly and privately. Read More
Policies are rated on their inclusion of 10 due process safeguards. Each policy may receive 2 points for fully including that safeguard, 1 point for partial inclusion, and 0 points for no meaningful inclusion. Most, but not all, institutions have separate policies for sexual misconduct and all other misconduct. See FIRE’s Spotlight on Due Process report for more information.
Grades
FIRE surveyed roughly 44,000 students at 203 colleges and universities about the climate for free speech at their institutions. See the full report on FIRE’s 2022 College Free Speech Rankings for more information.
Overall / out of a top score of 100 |
|
| Overall Score | 57.88 |
Rankings / out of 203 colleges ranked |
|
| Overall Ranking | 31 |
| Openness | 56 |
| Tolerance (Liberals) | 53 |
| Tolerance (Conservatives) | 26 |
| Administrative Support | 24 |
| Comfort | 5 |
| Disruptive Conduct | 81 |
Administrative Behavior |
|
| Supported Scholars | 0 |
| Sanctioned Scholars | 0 |
| Successful Disinvitations | 0 |
Climate |
|
| Speech Climate | SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE |
| Speech Code | RED |
Wilson Report: FIRE Writes to 15 Top Schools to Express Concern About Their Press Policies
November 12, 2020
On November 10, 2020, FIRE sent letters to 15 top colleges and universities across the country to express concern regarding their restrictive press policies. These letters followed a report published by John K. Wilson of the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement (the “Wilson Report”), which gave each of these… Read more
University of Notre Dame: Student Group Supporting Traditional Marriage Policy Denied Recognition
May 27, 2014
Administrators denied a student group recognition, citing already-existing similar organizations, after students signed a petition against its creation.
Notre Dame degrades already scant student disciplinary protections in the name of COVID-19
February 22, 2021
To a Midwesterner like me, the University of Notre Dame is an institution that, love it or hate it, you have to respect. You couldn’t grow up as a teenage boy in Toledo, Ohio, without knowing at least a little bit about gridiron legends like Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz (the latter of whom, I… Read more
FIRE urges 15 top colleges and universities to improve restrictive press policies
November 12, 2020
Over the summer, a report from the University of California’s National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement revealed that a majority of top colleges and universities maintain policies unfriendly to the press, including the student press. As FIRE reported at the time, UC Center fellow John K. Wilson found that these policies include requirements… Read more
Notre Dame students demand porn filters for campus internet, citing ‘red light’ policy
October 26, 2018
Earlier this week, a student group at the University of Notre Dame released a petition with over a thousand student, faculty, and staff signatures asking for the university to implement a web filter to block pornography from university WiFi. The president of the group Students for Child-Oriented Policy released the petition on Tuesday, along with… Read more
At Notre Dame commencement, Vice President Pence addresses freedom of expression while students exercise it
May 22, 2017
On Sunday, Vice President Mike Pence delivered the commencement address at the University of Notre Dame. While the vice president spoke about college students’ freedom of expression, some graduating students exercised that right, quietly walking out as the speech began. Pence’s address included an extended discussion of the state of freedom of expression on America’s… Read more
Due process legal update: a victory for due process in Indiana
May 18, 2017
Late last month, Patricia Hamill of the law firm Conrad O’Brien filed a lawsuit against the University of Notre Dame on behalf of a pseudonymous “John Doe” plaintiff, alleging that Notre Dame unfairly expelled him just a few weeks before he was slated to take his last two finals and graduate. After filing his suit,… Read more
Speech Code Countdown: ‘U.S. News’ Top 25 College Rankings, Numbers 19-11
October 6, 2016
FIRE’s U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” Countdown continues today. We’re giving you a school-by-school analysis of just how well America’s “Best Colleges” do when it comes to protecting free speech on campus. Unfortunately, in today’s crop of top campuses, troubling speech codes abound. As part of FIRE’s fresh look at U.S. News’ top-ranked… Read more
‘Disinvitation Season’ 2016 Begins: Cue the Commencement Controversies
April 28, 2016
POLITICO gave a rundown earlier this week of the colleges and universities ringing in convocation season in crisis-management mode after students and faculty members protested the selected speakers and honorees. Unsurprisingly, there are many. Among the notable examples are the University of Notre Dame for asking both former Speaker of the House John Boehner and… Read more
More Campuses Using Special Victims Units to Investigate Sexual Assaults
September 23, 2015
Working to address concerns about both sexual assault and due process on campus, more colleges and universities are asking specially trained police units to investigate sexual assault allegations. Earlier this month, The Arizona Republic reported that Arizona State University (ASU) police formed a special victims unit (SVU) to handle sexual assault allegations at ASU. “The… Read more
Ohio Supreme Court, Texas Legislature Stand for Transparency at Private Colleges
May 27, 2015
As part of the Student Press Law Center’s invaluable work to help protect and empower student media nationwide, the SPLC aims to keep colleges and universities accountable by ensuring their records are publicly available. Last week, the SPLC reported on two victories: The Ohio Supreme Court and Texas lawmakers both took stands for transparency at… Read more
Prosecutor Urges Victims of Sexual Assault to Report Directly to Special Victims Unit; Notre Dame Disagrees
May 13, 2015
Ken Cotter, prosecutor for St. Joseph County in Indiana, recently urged victims of campus sexual assault at the University of Notre Dame to report directly to the countywide Special Victims Unit (SVU) rather than to the university police. Cotter stated, “I would feel more comfortable if [Notre Dame police] were part of the Special Victims… Read more
After Denial, Group Opposing Same-Sex Marriage Approved at Notre Dame
September 30, 2014
NOTRE DAME, Ind., September 30, 2014—Months after being rejected on the grounds that it was considered “redundant,” the University of Notre Dame student group Students for Child-Oriented Policy (SCOP) has finally won official recognition. Notre Dame denied the group recognition earlier this year following student opposition to SCOP due to its stance against same-sex marriage…. Read more
FIRE Has Seen Notre Dame’s Redundancy Argument Before
June 24, 2014
In May, FIRE wrote to the University of Notre Dame in defense of Students for Child-Oriented Policy (SCOP). SCOP, a student group that generated controversy on campus because of its opposition to same-sex marriage, was denied official recognition by Notre Dame’s student-led Club Coordination Council (CCC) in April. The CCC claimed that SCOP “closely mirrors” the existing student groups Orestes Brownson Council (OBC) and Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), and is therefore redundant.
Notre Dame Defends Rejection of ‘Redundant’ Student Group Amid Controversy
June 19, 2014
NOTRE DAME, Ind., June 19, 2014—The University of Notre Dame is standing by its decision to reject the prospective student organization Students for Child-Oriented Policy (SCOP), claiming the group would be “redundant” in light of other existing groups on campus. Notre Dame rejected the group following student opposition to SCOP due to its stance against… Read more
Notre Dame Offers Weak Excuse for Denying Controversial Student Group Recognition
May 28, 2014
The University of Notre Dame is refusing to officially recognize the student group Students for Child-Oriented Policy (SCOP), which advocates for what it calls “child-oriented” policies—most notably, “traditional marriage”—in the state of Indiana. Notre Dame’s mission statement says that the university’s goals include providing a forum for “free inquiry and open discussion,” and that “the University insists upon academic freedom which makes open discussion and inquiry possible.”
So what interest trumped this broad promise to its students? According to Notre Dame, SCOP too “closely mirrored” other student groups on campus.
Notre Dame Students Embrace Opportunity for Dialogue in Coulter Visit
April 11, 2014
The University of Notre Dame’s College Republicans student group invited conservative commentator Ann Coulter to speak to students Thursday night, and Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College student newspaper The Observer relayed refreshingly pro-free-speech remarks from students about the event. Even students who strongly disagreed with Coulter’s viewpoints recognized not just the College Republicans’ right to invite her but also the benefits that can come with controversial speakers like Coulter.
Universities on the Cusp of a Better Speech Code Rating, Part 3: Notre Dame
September 5, 2013
As FIRE wraps up our annual review of university speech codes for our upcoming speech code report, we are running a blog series about colleges and universities that are just one policy away from dropping their poor, “red light,” speech code ratings. If these universities revise their red light policies before our data collection period… Read more
Notre Dame Settles with OCR, Adopts Preponderance Standard, Restricts Free Speech
July 6, 2011
The University of Notre Dame has settled an investigation by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights into its sexual assault policies and procedures, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports. Predictably, the settlement involved Notre Dame agreeing to use the preponderance of the evidence standard in sexually related cases (FIRE explains its objections to this low standard of evidence here.)… Read more
The State of Free Speech on Campus: University of Notre Dame
February 23, 2009
Throughout the spring semester, FIRE is drawing special attention to the state of free speech at America’s top 25 national universities (as ranked by U.S. News & World Report). Today we review policies at the University of Notre Dame, which FIRE has given a red-light rating for its restrictions on free expression. As with all… Read more