Free speech at UTA

As we navigate this academic semester through the COVID pandemic and upcoming election, I want to remind everyone about both the important role that free speech plays at UTA and a recent change to Texas law that impacts our campus.

The University of Texas at Arlington has a commitment to free speech and an open exchange of ideas, and our campus is a place for people to gather and share different perspectives and experiences. This freedom is a constitutional right and always has been an important pillar in our educational mission.

Last year, the 86th Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 18, which made outdoor areas at state universities open to the public for speech and expression. While students, faculty, and staff may gather and exercise their rights to free speech, state law prohibits significant disruption of University operations. All campus community members should comply and help protect the safety of our UTA community.

The law's most noticeable impacts for our campus community begin this fall. They include:

Reclassifying common outdoor areas from limited public forums to traditional public forums, which means the areas are available for expressive activity by members of the campus community and public at any time when the area is not reserved in advance for an event.
Permitting any person (even those not affiliated with the University) to engage in expressive activities on campus. The right to engage in these activities is subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions designed to avoid disruption of institutional operations.

In expressing ideas and opinions, individuals or groups may be intentionally confrontational and/or offensive. The First Amendment means public institutions cannot punish speech or exclude speakers on the grounds that they are hateful or deeply offensive. UTA may not agree with the viewpoints of a campus speaker but we cannot prohibit a person’s speech because it offends members of our community. Upholding the law, however, does not mean the University endorses such speech in any way.

UTA does not condone hate speech, which is in direct conflict with our values of diversity, inclusion and mutual respect. As a community we must strive to provide an environment where all members are respected and supported.

Please think through your personal strategies for interactions. Consider exercising your own right to free speech through a thoughtful and respectful expression of your views. We encourage you to:

Create physical space between you and opposing groups.
Be aware of your reactions to maintain civil discourse.
Avoid or leave the area and do not engage if a speaker’s content is hurtful to you.

If you find the content hurtful and need to access support services, please reach out to the Dean of Students Office at dos@uta.edu for support.

While we cannot and should not restrict speech on our campus, UTA is committed to provide our community an atmosphere free from threat, intimidation and harassment. Words of obscenity, defamatory language that is false and is intended to harm the reputation of another person; and or speech that incites imminent lawless action will not be allowed on campus.

I trust that you will demonstrate responsibility and compassion toward one another as we proceed through the fall semester. We strive to educate Mavericks on how to engage in difficult dialogues, express ideas without fear, and be leaders, now and in the future.