School Spotlight
University of Rhode Island
Location:
Kingston, Rhode Island
Type:
Public
Speech Code Rating
University of Rhode Island 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.
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Bias Response Team: What is Bias?
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
Last updated: October 13, 2021Equity and inclusion are critical components for campus community members to thrive. The Bias Resource Team (BRT) is an interdisciplinary group comprised of URI staff and faculty. The BRT reviews information about reported bias incidents and refers campus resources to those who have witnessed or experienced an act o... Read MoreStudent Handbook: Student Code of Conduct- Sexual Harassment
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: October 13, 2021Sexual Harassment is any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature and/or based on gender that is sufficiently severe and pervasive and objectively offensive as to interfere with a person’s work/learning / program performance or to create a hostile, intimidating, or abusive environment. Sexual Harassment is defined as... Read MoreStudent Handbook: Student Code of Conduct- IT Services
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: October 13, 2021Respect the finite capacity of technological resources and avoid excessive use of resources. … Other violations include … the sending of electronic chain mail, the inappropriate sending of “broadcast” messages … Read MoreStudent Handbook: Memorial Union, Student Activities, Event Planning
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Security Fee Policies
Last updated: October 13, 2021Memorial Union, Student Activities, Event Planning … Guest Speakers Student organizations on the campus may freely select persons they wish to invite as guest speakers for their programs. There will be no restriction to control the point of view expressed by speakers other than those imposed by state and... Read MoreStudent Handbook: Student Code of Conduct: Fliers
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Posting and Distribution Policies
Last updated: October 13, 2021Fliers Students must obtain permission from building managers to post fliers inside any building on campus. Posting of posters, handbills, fliers or notices on walls, trees, buildings, lawns, sidewalks, lampposts, electrical posts, trash containers, motor vehicles or anywhere other than an official bulletin board... Read MoreStudent Handbook: Student Code of Conduct- Prohibited Student Conduct
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Other Speech Codes
Last updated: October 13, 2021Any student or student organization found to have committed or to have attempted to commit the following misconduct is subject to the imposition of an appropriate disciplinary sanction in accordance with the sanction related standards and procedures described in the “University Student Conduct System” section of ... Read MoreStudent Handbook: Student Code of Conduct- Respect for Health, Safety, Rights of Others, Rights of Self
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: October 13, 2021The University of Rhode Island expects its students to treat other persons with respect and human dignity. All members of the community share the responsibility for protecting and maintaining community health, safety, and the rights of other persons. Read MoreStudent Handbook: Student Code of Conduct- Discriminatory Harassment
Speech Code Rating: Yellow
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: October 13, 2021Discriminatory Harassment is a form of discrimination consisting of unwelcome verbal, written, graphic or physical conduct that: Is directed at an individual or group of individuals on the basis of the individual or group of individuals’ actual or perceived protected status, or affiliation or association with... Read MoreStudent Handbook: Statement of Students’ Rights
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Last updated: October 13, 2021Students have the right to freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of inquiry and peaceful assembly. Read MoreStudent Handbook: Student Code of Conduct- Harassment
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: October 13, 2021“Harassment” is defined as conduct that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive, and that so undermines and detracts from the victim’s educational experience, that the victim-student is effectively denied equal access to educational resources and opportunities. The presentation of any idea, regardless ... Read MoreStudent Handbook: Student Code of Conduct- Respect for University Functions, Policies, and Procedures
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: October 13, 2021The University of Rhode Island strongly values free speech. The freedom to debate and discuss the merits of competing ideas does not mean that members of the university community may say whatever they wish, wherever they wish. Consistent with the rule of law, the University of Rhode Island may restrict expression th... Read MoreStudent Handbook: Student Code of Conduct- Bullying/Cyberbullying
Speech Code Rating: Green
Speech Code Category: Bullying Policies
Last updated: October 13, 2021Bullying/Cyberbullying Engaging in repeated or aggressive behaviors that intimidate, intentionally harm, control, or seek to control another individual physically, mentally, or emotionally that it alters the conditions of education, employment, or participation in a university program or activity. An isolated incide... Read More
FIRE surveyed roughly 37,000 students at 154 colleges and universities about the climate for free speech at their institutions. In 2021, FIRE released rankings of those schools, based on a number of factors, including openness, tolerance, self-expression, administrative support for free speech, and campus policies, scoring overall speech climate on a scale from 0-100. See the full report on FIRE’s 2021 College Free Speech Rankings for more information.
Rankings / out of 154 colleges surveyed |
|
| Overall Ranking | 123 |
| Ideological Diversity | 18 |
Overall / out of a top score of 100 |
|
| Overall Score | 57.11 |
| Openness | 8.95 |
| Tolerance (Liberals) | 9.04 |
| Tolerance (Conservatives) | 7.35 |
| Administrative Support | 5.83 |
| Comfort | 15.73 |
| Disruptive Conduct | 10.21 |
| Speech Code | YELLOW |
University of Rhode Island: Student Threatened with Discipline for Appealing Parking Ticket
March 18, 2021
On February 23, 2021, University of Rhode Island undergraduate Timothy Hecker got a parking ticket on campus. Hecker had purchased a Fine Arts Lot pass, but parked in the incorrect one of two Fine Arts Lots. In a strongly-worded appeal of his ticket through the Transportation and Parking office, Hecker wrote in relevant part, “Get… Read more
University of Rhode Island: student government abandons discriminatory funding policy
October 12, 2018
In May 2018, FIRE wrote to the University of Rhode Island’s Student Senate on behalf of a coalition of student organizations — including the College Democrats and Republicans, as well as URI campus chapters of BridgeUSA, the ACLU, and Students for Sensible Drug Policy — that had been denied student activity fee funding by their student government because they were deemed “political.”
University of Rhode Island: Professor’s Anti-Gun Tweets Deemed Threatening
December 18, 2012
Following the December 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, University of Rhode Island Associate Professor Erik Loomis posted criticism of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and its Chief Executive Officer, Wayne LaPierre, to his Twitter account, including a tweet calling for LaPierre’s “head on a stick.” In response to the public controversy generated by these… Read more
University of Rhode Island: Student Senate Attempts to Compel Speech
March 13, 2007
At the University of Rhode Island, the College Republicans came under fire for advertising a “scholarship” during “Conservative Coming Out Week,” in order to satirically protest scholarships awarded on the bases of race, gender, or nationality. Even though the College Republicans never awarded the “scholarship” to anyone, the Student Organizations Advisory and Review Committee (SOARC)… Read more
Court says suit by professor who complained about University of Rhode Island’s diversity initiatives can proceed
March 18, 2022
An update in the case of University of Rhode Island professor Louis Kwame Fosu, who sued URI back in July 2021, alleging retaliation for his criticisms of the university’s record on diversity: The U.S. District Court for Rhode Island ruled this week to allow Fosu’s lawsuit to proceed against the University of Rhode Island. The… Read more
Professor files lawsuit alleging university fired him for criticizing diversity policies
July 9, 2021
A professor is taking his former university to court, alleging that the administration retaliated against him for criticizing the university’s shortcomings on its diversity pledges. The University of Rhode Island hired Louis Kwame Fosu in 2019 to teach in the school’s political science department. Among the courses Fosu taught was “Topics in Political Science: Examining… Read more
URI undergrad threatened for appealing parking ticket fights back
March 18, 2021
Tim Hecker was honking mad about getting yet another parking ticket. “I was furious,” the University of Rhode Island senior said about being cited late last month. “This was the latest in a number of encounters I had with them that were entirely nonsense.” “Them” is URI’s Transportation and Parking department. The “nonsense” is what… Read more
Constitution requires University of Rhode Island to defend professor’s right to express controversial views
September 10, 2020
University of Rhode Island is being asked, including by some state legislators, to punish history professor Erik Loomis over his controversial views on the killing of a Portland protester. The First Amendment, however, protects Loomis’s right to express his opinions on this issue — and URI must resist calls to violate the Constitution and punish… Read more
VICTORY: Student government abandons discriminatory funding policy at the University of Rhode Island
October 12, 2018
KINGSTON, R.I., Oct. 12, 2018 — When the student government at the University of Rhode Island refused to fund certain student organizations, a diverse coalition of groups got together to protect their expressive rights. Campus chapters of the College Republicans, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, ACLU, and BridgeUSA teamed up to take down unconstitutional policies… Read more
University of Rhode Island’s contradictory values and policies chill speech
August 18, 2017
Before I entered FIRE’s summer internship program, I knew that my university, the University of Rhode Island, was dubiously designated FIRE’s Speech Code of the Month in December 2016 — an award given to campuses with particularly restrictive and/or ridiculous rules about what students can and cannot say on campus. Upon taking a closer look… Read more
Speech Code of the Month: University of Rhode Island
December 21, 2016
FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for December 2016: the University of Rhode Island. The University of Rhode Island (URI) prohibits “bias-based incidents.” According to the policy: A bias-based incident is one which has a negative effect on an individual or group and which is based on or motivated by bias against race,… Read more
Virginia Tech Supports the Troops and the First Amendment at the Same Time
September 6, 2013
My favorite bumper sticker is an American flag with the caption: “Think. It’s patriotic.” That’s essentially what Steven Salaita, a professor of English at Virginia Tech, was trying to say when he posted commentary on Salon arguing against uncritical support of the military. But he chose to do so in a deliberately provocative way, framing his… Read more
Revisiting Twitter Controversy, University of Rhode Island President Issues New Statement Acknowledging First Amendment
December 28, 2012
University of Rhode Island (URI) President David Dooley issued a new statement this past Sunday regarding Associate Professor Erik Loomis’ recent criticism of the National Rifle Association. Following the tragic murders in Newtown, Connecticut, Loomis took to Twitter to sharply criticize the NRA. Among other statements, Loomis called for NRA Chief Executive Officer Wayne LaPierre’s… Read more
Standing Up for a Professor’s Right to Free Speech, Even While Disagreeing!
December 19, 2012
Protecting controversial or offensive speech is what the First Amendment is all about. After all, no one tries to censor speech that they like. FIRE’s core mission is the defense of students and faculty from censorship, and as defenders of free speech on campus, we often defend the rights of people who have said things… Read more
This Month in FIRE History: Student Senate Attempts to Compel Speech
April 30, 2010
In April of 2007 at the University of Rhode Island (URI), the future of the College Republicans was in jeopardy. The group had advertised a “scholarship” that satirically protested scholarships awarded on the basis of race, gender, or nationality. The advertisements for the “WHAM Scholarship,” short for White Heterosexual American Males, were posted as a… Read more
John Leo on Censorship Tactics in ‘The New York Sun’
May 3, 2007
Yesterday’s issue of The New York Sun includes a very telling opinion piece by John Leo that looks at the ploys used by university administrators in their efforts to stifle student speech. “It’s not news that the modern university is censorship-prone, particularly when conservatives wish to speak, but the tactics of the censors keep changing,”… Read more
Victory for Free Expression at the University of Rhode Island
April 26, 2007
Today’s press release announces that after a months-long showdown over the University of Rhode Island (URI) College Republicans’ satirical “scholarship” for white, heterosexual American males, the Student Senate has finally acknowledged its constitutional obligations. At the Senate meeting last night, the Executive Committee voted against last week’s proposed bill to derecognize the College Republicans because… Read more
Victory for Freedom of Expression at the University of Rhode Island
April 26, 2007
PROVIDENCE, R.I., April 26, 2007—In a meeting last night, the Student Senate of the University of Rhode Island (URI) voted against a proposal to derecognize the College Republicans, holding that the group need not apologize for advertising a satirical white, heterosexual, American male “scholarship.” This decision overturns last week’s Student Senate committee vote to revoke… Read more
URI Student Senate Meeting Determines CRs’ Fate Tonight
April 25, 2007
The fate of the University of Rhode Island (URI) College Republicans (CRs) rests on a meeting of the Student Senate tonight. The CRs have been threatened with revocation of their official student group status for advertising a satirical “White, Heterosexual, American Male” (WHAM) scholarship for $100. No less than eight letters in support of the… Read more
FIRE’s Case at URI Hits the Media
April 20, 2007
FIRE’s defense of the College Republicans at the University of Rhode Island (URI) has gained the attention of local and national media, including a front-and-center spot on today’s homepage of FOXNews.com. The accompanying article by Melissa Drosjack explores our fight for the College Republicans’ right to advertise a satirical “scholarship,” despite the Student Senate’s demand… Read more
URI President Carothers Responds to FIRE Ally
April 18, 2007
Today, FIRE went public with the case of the University of Rhode Island College Republicans, who face derecognition by the URI Student Senate because they refuse to apologize for offering a satirical $100 scholarship to white, heterosexual, American males. You can get everything you need to know about this shameful episode out of today’s press… Read more
URI Student Senate Committee Votes to Derecognize College Republicans
April 18, 2007
FIRE’s press release today announces that a committee of the University of Rhode Island (URI) Student Senate voted on Monday to derecognize the College Republicans. As we said last week, the Student Organizations Advisory and Review Committee (SOARC) has for months attempted to force the College Republicans to publicly apologize for advertising a satirical… Read more
University of Rhode Island Student Senate Dumps College Republicans
April 18, 2007
PROVIDENCE, R.I., April 18, 2007—Displaying a dramatic disregard for students’ constitutional rights, a committee of the University of Rhode Island (URI) Student Senate voted on Monday to derecognize the College Republicans student group. For months, the Student Senate has demanded that the group publicly apologize for advertising a satirical $100 “scholarship” for white, heterosexual, American… Read more
University of Rhode Island President Forbids Student Senate from Imposing Unconstitutional Sanctions
April 12, 2007
The University of Rhode Island (URI) Student Senate has been looking for a way to punish the College Republicans for months. In November, the College Republicans advertised a satirical “White, Heterosexual, American Male” (WHAM) scholarship, and wanted to award $100 to anyone fitting those criteria who submitted an application and an essay on the adversities… Read more
University of Rhode Island President Forbids Student Senate from Imposing Unconstitutional Sanctions
April 12, 2007
University of Rhode Island (URI) President Robert Carothers has intervened to stop the Student Senate from imposing unconstitutional sanctions on the URI College Republicans, who sponsored a satirical $100 “scholarship” for white, heterosexual, American males. The Senate prohibited the group from disbursing the money, but the Senate later demanded that the College Republicans apologize publicly… Read more
Police State U
October 18, 2005
Check out “Keeping a Close Watch on Students” on Inside Higher Ed. It tells only the latest story of universities’ encroachment into students’ lives, this time at the University of Rhode Island: About 150 students rallied Monday in protest of university policy changes that will allow students who live off-campus—as a majority do—to be referred… Read more