Student Code of Conduct

Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: December 19, 2016

The following conduct, whether completed or attempted, violates the Student Code of Conduct. Where applicable behavior will be judged by a reasonable person standard. … Harm to Individuals, including but not limited to: … Conduct that creates an intimidating, intolerable, or offensive campus, educational or working environment for another person, unrelated to the victim’s protected class, if any.

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Student Code of Conduct

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: December 19, 2016

Harassment based on any of the following protected classes: gender (including gender identity and sex), race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or sexual orientation. Harassment is defined as conduct that unreasonably interferes with an individual’s academic or employment status or performance by creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment or an educational environment. (Harassment on the basis of these protected classes may include unequal treatment that is based on prejudiced stereotypes of a group to which that individual may belong such as objectionable epithets, threatened or actual physical harm or abuse, stalking, or other intimidating or insulting conduct directed against the individual based on his or her protected class.)

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Student Code of Conduct

Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: December 19, 2016

Use of University computing facilities or resources to send obscene or abusive material.

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Housing Handbook: Standards for Community Living

Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: December 19, 2016

Bigotry and hatred will be given no home within our community. Our community will not tolerate verbal or written abuse, threats, intimidation, and will not accept false humor, anger, intoxication, or substance abuse as an excuse, reason, or rationale for such behavior. We strive to develop and support a learning environment so each of us can genuinely enjoy equal opportunities to live, work, and learn. To learn more or to report a bias incident, please visit www.uwf.edu/biasresponse.

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Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: December 19, 2016

Harassment based upon an individual’s protected class that is sufficiently severe or pervasive, so as to alter the terms and conditions of the individual’s employment environment or substantially disrupt the individuals’ educational environment is a violation of this policy and is prohibited.

The following are additional examples of harassment that constitute a violation of this policy: … Where such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic environment or creates an objectively intimidating, hostile or offensive work or academic environment.

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Public Expression, Assembly, and Distribution of Written Materials

Speech Code Category: Protest and Demonstration Policies
Last updated: December 19, 2016

The University does not contain any traditional public forum areas.

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In the interest of facilitating a “marketplace of ideas,” designed to provide opportunities for public debate and discourse while at the same time minimizing disruption to the campuses core functions, the University has designated an area for public expression (designated public forum). The lawn immediately west of the Pace Library is designated as the University’s Public Forum. The Designated Public Forum is also open to all individuals seeking to express their opinions without prior registration or approval. In the event that a Universitysponsored or sanctioned activity is scheduled to take place in the Designated Public Forum, alternative space will be made available to interested parties. The use of the Designated Public Forum is limited to regular university operating hours (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.).

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The exercise of public expression and assembly on the UWF campus by students, faculty, staff, guests and members of the public shall be in accordance with the guidelines set forth herein:

a. Scheduled Assemblies – Assemblies in all areas on the campus, except for the area designated as the “Designated Public Forum,” must be scheduled and approved according to the policies set forth in the locations/buildings/facilities in which they are to be held.
b. Unscheduled Assemblies – The lawn immediately west of the Pace Library (UWF’s Designated Public Forum) is established as the only campus location for unscheduled public assemblies.

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Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Violence, Gender-Based Discrimination and Retaliation

Last updated: December 19, 2016

Sexual Harassment – unwelcome conduct, based on sex/gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity, that is sufficiently severe or pervasive so that it alters the terms and conditions of the Complainant’s employment or educational environment. Sexual harassment may include, for example, unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other physical or verbal conduct of sexual nature.

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(a) Sexual Harassment. Sexual harassment violates this Policy when any one of the following occur:

(i) the unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature is sufficiently severe or pervasive so as to alter the terms and conditions of the individual’s employment or educational environment…

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Bias Response: Hate Speech and Free Speech

Speech Code Category: Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
Last updated: December 19, 2016

An area of concern, but one which is particularly difficult for universities to deal with, is the area of “Hate Speech.” This area is difficult because of the nation’s deep commitment to free speech and all universities’ particular focus on free speech as a major component in the university learning environment. We believe that we can both maintain respect for free speech and engage a fruitful concern for “hate speech.” With this in mind, we define Hate Speech as:

Hate speech is speech, text, images (written/spoken) presented in public that are designed to incite hatred, violence, contempt, or severe ridicule towards, or to intimidate or create terror or fear among members of racial, religious, or other groups (such as sexual minorities).

The UWF community values the freedom of expression rights guaranteed to all individuals in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. While some acts of bias or hate may be violations of the law and/or University policy, many may be considered speech protected by the First Amendment; which allows for the expression of hateful and intolerant statements and expressive conduct. In such cases, no formal action can be taken against the offending person or persons. However, the University has an obligation and the right to respond to such incidents in a manner consistent with the role of promoting a climate of tolerance, respect, inclusion and dialogue. Having an ongoing discussion of what constitutes bias and hate speech, in the context of the preservation of free speech, is an imperative part of the process of creating and maintaining a just and inclusive learning community.

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Amid Concerns About Stifling Speech, Colleges Take a New Look at Bias-Response Teams

September 28, 2016

By Nadia Dreid at The Chronicle of Higher Education The University of West Florida realized it had a problem… Read more here.

Free Speech Zone Policy Debated at University of West Florida

March 4, 2011

On Valentine’s Day at the University of West Florida (UWF), people strolling the public university’s Cannon Greens did not see the language of love displayed, but instead the graphic images of genocide victims and aborted fetuses provided by a California anti-abortion group. According to an article by Terry Strickland in UWF’s student newspaper The Voyager, the display was held outside of UWF’s “free speech zone” (between buildings 18 and 21 on the campus map), and not without complaint. Many students claimed that the display was “a violation of decency” and questioned why it had not been confined to UWF’s free […]