University of West Alabama

Location: Livingston, Alabama
Website: http://www.uwa.edu
Type: Public
Federal Circuit: 11th Circuit

Tell University of West Alabama to revise its speech policies by filling out this form.

Speech Code Rating

University of West Alabama 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

  • Student Handbook: Facilities Conduct Policies

    Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
    Last updated: October 22, 2018

    Loud or abusive language is not conducive to a positive environment and will not be tolerated.

    » Read More

  • Student Handbook: Code of Student Conduct

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: October 22, 2018

    Violators of the Code of Student Conduct may be disciplined for the following:

    …

    Physical or verbal abuse, threat of violence, intimidation, profanity and physical or mental harassment. Making obscene utterances, gestures, or displays; addressing harassing language, slanderous/libelous language, or fighting words to a person; following a person in or about a public place or places, (e.g., stalking); or engaging in a course of conduct or repeatledly [sic] committing acts that are disorderly.

    …

    Lewd, obscene, licentious or indecent conduct or the verbal or written threat of such action against another person.

    …

    Conduct unbecoming a student of The University of West Alabama.

    » Read More

  • Student Handbook: Sexual Discrimination and Sexual Harassment

    Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
    Last updated: October 22, 2018

    Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature.  Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature when such conduct has the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s performance, creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive University environment or limiting participation in University activities.

    …

    Sexual harassment is 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 unreasonably interfering with an individual’s performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive University environment.

    …

    Sexual Harassment is

    • unwelcome, gender-based verbal or physical conduct that is,
    • sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that it,
    • has the effect of unreasonably interfering with, denying or limiting someone’s ability to participate in or benefit from the University’s education program and/or activities, and is
    • based on power differentials (quid pro quo), the creation of a hostile environment, or retaliation.

    …

    Hostile environment includes any situation in which there is harassing conduct that is sufficiently severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it limits, interferes with or denies educational benefits or opportunities, from both a subjective (the alleged victim’s) and an objective (reasonable person’s) viewpoint.

    » Read More

  • Student Handbook: Speaker Policy

    Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
    Last updated: October 19, 2018

    The University has designated a Free Speech Zone, near the steps of the Student Union Building (SUB), as the area where students, student organizations, faculty, and sponsored non-University, non-campus groups or individuals may speak and distribute materials.

    …

    A student organization planning to invite a guest to speak at a regularly scheduled meeting and planning to use a University facility other than the Free Speech Zone, must submit an application for Use of Facilities to the Director of Student Activities, ten days before the scheduled event.

    » Read More

Green Light Policies

  • Student Handbook: Cyberbullying and Cyber Harassment Policy Statement

    Speech Code Category: Bullying Policies
    Last updated: October 22, 2018

    Cyberbullying or cyber harassment by any member of the University of West Alabama community (student, faculty, staff, etc.) toward another individual constitutes conduct that disrupts the educational environment of the University.

    Cyberbullying and cyber harassment are prohibited by state law (Ala. Code § 13A-11-8; AL HB 216) and by various federal laws. The University will not tolerate such obscene, lewd, intimidating or other disorderly conduct by or toward members of its community.

    » Read More

  • Speech Code of the Month: University of West Alabama

    January 2, 2014

    FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for January 2014: the University of West Alabama (UWA). The University of West Alabama has a new policy prohibiting “Cyberbullying and Cyber Harassment” (PDF) that subjects virtually every student and faculty member on campus to punishment. That is because the policy defines cyberbullying to include not only unlawful conduct and unprotected speech, but also “harsh text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles.” Go ahead and read that one again: “harsh text messages or emails.” Given that a “harsh” text or email […]

    » Read More