University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
Location: Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Website: http://www.uwosh.edu
Type: Public
Federal Circuit: 7th Circuit
Speech Code Rating
University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh 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. Read more here.
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University of Wisconsin: Students’ Due Process Rights
March 13, 2009
FIRE successfully persuaded the University of Wisconsin’s Board of Regents to affirm due process rights for students, including the option of a hearing before a committee including student peers, attorney representation in the case of serious allegations, and both e-mail and paper notification of proceedings. The Board had proposed changes to the State Administrative Code governing infractions and judicial procedures within Wisconsin’s public universities that would have limited due process rights and granted more discretion to administrators. FIRE’s Adam Kissel engaged in a speaking tour of University of Wisconsin schools in opposition to these changes, even speaking before the Board […]
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Red Light Policies
Gen 1.2: Shared Principles to Guide Interactions Among Members of the University
Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: May 8, 2018All members of the University have a responsibility to promote and a right to expect: … an environment that is free of harassment and free of insulting and demeaning comments and epithets based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, military status, socioeconomic status, family status, or political views; consistent enforcement of federal, state and university protections against discriminatory treatment yet is free from any official speech codes.
Chapter UWS 18: Conduct on University Lands
Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: May 8, 2018No person may, with intent to harass, annoy or offend another person, send a message to the person on an electronic mail or other computerized communication system and in that message use any obscene, lewd or profane language or suggest any lewd or lascivious act.
Campus Safety Resources: Bias Motivated Incident and Crime Reporting
Speech Code Category: Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
Last updated: May 8, 2018In an effort to prevent bias motivated incidents/behaviors and to help maintain a positive learning, living and working environment within our community, UW Oshkosh tracks the nature of these incidents on and off campus. Examples may include but are not limited to the use of degrading language or slurs, spoken or written directed at woman, men, gays, lesbian, racist, anti-semitic, etc.
Community Rights and Responsibilities Handbook: Harassment
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: May 8, 2018Harassment can be be based on [race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes as required by law] is verbal or physical conduct or conduct using technology that is so severe or pervasive that it has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or educational program participation, or that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment. A person’s subjective belief that behavior is offensive, intimidating or hostile does not make that behavior harassment. The behavior must be objectively unreasonable.
Gen 1.3.(1): Acceptable Use of Computing Resources Policy
Speech Code Category: Internet Usage Policies
Last updated: May 8, 2018Examples of inappropriate and unacceptable use of computing and networking resources include, but are not limited to, the following:
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Use of e-mail or messaging services to harass, intimidate, or otherwise annoy another person, for example, by broadcasting unsolicited messages or sending unwanted mail.Gen 1.2.(6): Sexual Harassment Policy
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: May 8, 2018Sexual harassment is defined by the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh as follows: Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. It occurs in a variety of situations which share a common element: the inappropriate introduction of sexual activities or comments into the work, learning or living situation. Often, sexual harassment involves relationships of unequal power, and contains elements of coercion–as when compliance with requests for sexual favors becomes criterion for granting work, study, grading or other benefits. However, sexual harassment may also involve relationships among equals, as when repeated sexual advances or demeaning verbal behavior have a harmful effect on a person’s ability to study or work in the academic setting. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other physical conduct and expressive behavior of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when:
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Such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s academic or professional performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or demeaning employment or educational environment.
Community Rights and Responsibilities Handbook: Inclusivity and Diversity
Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: May 8, 2018Definition of bias and hate: Single or multiple acts toward an individual, group, or their property that are so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that they create an unreasonably intimidating, hostile, or offensive work, learning, or program environment, and that one could reasonably conclude are based upon actual or perceived age, race, color, creed, religion, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital status, spirituality, cultural, socioeconomic status, or any combination of these or other related factors.
Gen 1.2.(4): Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment and Retaliation
Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: May 8, 2018Discriminatory 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 groups of individuals’ actual or perceived protected status, or affiliation or association with person(s) within a protected status (as defined herein above); and
- Is sufficiently severe or pervasive so as to interfere with an individual’s employment, education or academic environment or participation in institution programs or activities and creates a working, learning, program or activity environment that a reasonable person would find intimidating, offensive or hostile.
To constitute prohibited harassment, the conduct must be both objectively and subjectively harassing in nature. Harassment may include but is not limited to verbal or physical attacks, threats, slurs or derogatory or offensive comments that meet the definition set forth herein.
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University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh withdraws from attempt to impose prior restraint on its former student journalist
October 29, 2018
On Friday, the Wisconsin Department of Justice withdrew its application to the state trial court asking it to enjoin a journalist from disclosing information contained in public records accidentally disclosed to him by the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, while he was a student journalist. As we explained last week, this case arises out of a public records request made by Alex Nemec, then a student journalist writing for the university’s student newspaper, the Advance-Titan. Nemec sought records concerning a professor who was suddenly removed from teaching. He was inadvertently provided unredacted records after a Wisconsin appellate court denied the professor’s […]
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Wisconsin DOJ asks court for prior restraint following then-student journalist’s public records request
October 23, 2018
In March 2017, Alex Nemec was a student journalist writing for the Advance-Titan, a student newspaper at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. He reported that a professor had suddenly been removed from class and was under investigation. Now, after the university accidentally released records to Nemec in response to a public records request, the university — represented by the Wisconsin Department of Justice — is asking a court to order Nemec not to disclose information contained in those records. After Nemec first reported on the investigation into professor Will Hagen, he issued a request under Wisconsin’s public records law seeking […]
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Student Newspaper at University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh Condemns Misconduct Policy Revisions
October 10, 2008
The Advance-Titan, the student newspaper at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, has joined the fray condemning the student misconduct policy revisions proposed by the University of Wisconsin (UW) System Board of Regents. The editorial reports and agrees with the concerns of the Oshkosh Student Association (OSA) that largely reiterate the objections to the policy’s lack of due process, vagueness, and jurisdictional overbreadth already voiced by UW–Madison professor Don Downs and the Committee for Academic Freedom and Rights (CAFAR) at the University of Wisconsin, the Badger Herald editorial board, and at least one Badger Herald columnist. The Advance-Titan writes, In [the] letter […]
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