Article 1—Student Rights and Responsibilities

Part 1. Student Rights

§ 1-106 Student Affairs

In student affairs, certain standards must be maintained if the freedom of students is to be preserved.

(a) Freedom of Association

Students bring to the campus a variety of interests previously acquired and develop many new interests as members of the academic community. They should be free to organize and join associations to promote their common interests.

(1) The membership, policies, and actions of a student organization usually will be determined by the vote of only those persons who hold bona fide membership in the college or University community.

(2) Affiliation with an extramural organization should not of itself disqualify a student organization from institutional recognition.

(3) If campus advisers are required, each organization should be free to choose its own adviser, and institutional recognition should not be withheld or withdrawn solely because of the inability of a student organization to secure an adviser. Campus advisers may advise organizations in the exercise of responsibility, but they should not have the authority to control the policy of such organizations.

(4) Membership lists are confidential and solely for the use of the organization except that name(s) and address(es) of an agent or agents, and/or officers, if any, may be required as a condition of registration.

(5) Campus organizations, including those affiliated with an extramural organization, shall not discriminate against a member or prospective member on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation including gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, unfavorable discharge from the military, or status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era, except as specifically exempted by law.

(b) Freedom of Inquiry and Expression

(1) Students and student organizations should be free to examine and to discuss all questions of interest to them, and to express opinions publicly and privately. They should always be free to support causes by orderly means which do not disrupt the regular and essential operation of the institution. At the same time, it should be made clear to the academic and the larger community that in their public expressions or demonstrations, students or student organizations speak only for themselves.

(2) Students should be allowed to invite and hear any person of their own choosing. Those routine procedures required by an institution before a guest speaker is invited to appear on campus should be designed only to ensure that there is orderly scheduling of facilities, adequate financial underwriting for costs of services to be provided by the University, adequate preparation for the event, and that the occasion is conducted in a manner appropriate to an academic community. The University’s control of campus facilities should not be used as a device of censorship. It should be made clear to the academic and larger community that sponsorship of guest speakers does not necessarily imply approval or endorsement of the views expressed either by the sponsoring group or the institution.