Policies and Procedures
In order to provide a conducive environment for learning and research, the university places certain restrictions on the various locations, times and ways in which speech occurs.
View PoliciesUTA is committed to providing an educational and work climate that is conducive to the personal and professional development of each individual. The University will protect the rights of students, faculty members, staff members, and members of the public to assemble, to speak, and to attempt to attract the attention of others, and corresponding rights to hear the speech of others when they choose to listen, and to ignore the speech of others when they choose not to listen. The University maintains its right to regulate reasonable time, place and manner restrictions concerning acts of...
We want to make sure you are able to express your first amendment rights in a productive manner that complies with university policies and state/federal law. The staff in the Office of Student...
In order to provide a conducive environment for learning and research, the university places certain restrictions on the various locations, times and ways in which speech occurs.
View PoliciesAre you looking for advice or more information on how to share your ideas with the campus community? View a list of departments which can support you.
See Support ServicesIT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH AND ASSEMBLY DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO:
Dissent becomes unprotected civil disobedience when taking over a campus building, materially disrupting classes or events, trespassing, vandalizing, disturbing the peace, or other types of conduct subject to time, place, manner restrictions. Civil disobedience could potentially result in criminal or conduct charges.
Harassment - Threats, insults, ridicule and personal attacks directed at a person’s sex, race, color, national origin, religion or other personal characteristics; or unwelcome speech of a sexual nature. This must be serious (i.e., persistent, pervasive and severe) to the point of limiting or prohibiting a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the educational program. The institution cannot censor or punish speech merely because a person or group considers it offensive, obnoxious, or hateful.
True Threats and Fighting Words – Words of intimidation, epithets, ridicule or personal attacks with the intent to produce fear of bodily harm or death in the victim. Fighting words are insults which, “by their very utterance, inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace.” The institution must intervene to protect from fear of physical harm, but not emotional injury.
Defamation (Libel/Slander) – Causing harm or damage the reputation of another person by false statements that hold the victim up to hatred, ridicule or contempt. If the alleged victim is a public figure there are additional levels of malicious intent that must be proved in a case of defamation.
Obscenity – Expression that depicts or describes sexual conduct, as outlined in state law, in a patently offensive way. Rather than offended any individual, it must violate community standards, appeal to prurient interests, and lack literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
Incitement of Imminent Lawless Action – When the speaker intends to provoke illegal action, openly urges or encourages it, and his or her words are likely to result in subsequent commission of a crime. For example, incitement and aiding in the destruction of property (even for the purpose of making a point) or disruption of classes or campus activities is prohibited and may be punished.
Commercial speech or solicitation – Advertising or promoting any product or service for sale (including the use of for-profit logos and trademarks.
The First Amendment protects the right to dissent, but not to disobey the law. Civil disobedience refers to the refusal to obey laws by violating them. A founding premise for society based on the rule of law and order is to adhere to the laws that are voted into existence. In the United States, we have guaranteed the right to dissent, to protest, to assemble peaceably, to petition against a law, and to pose legal challenges to laws we believe violate constitutional rights. When dissent crosses over into the area called "time, place, manner" restrictions, dissent moves to civil disobedience. Students may dissent against a range of policies and against political ideas in a number of ways. Such dissent becomes unprotected civil disobedience when taking over a campus building, materially disrupting classes or events, trespassing, vandalizing, disturbing the peace, or other types of conduct subject to time, place, manner restrictions. Participation in civil disobedience could potentially result in serious criminal and/or conduct charges.
Possible violations that may be cited for students engaging in civil disobedience depending on the circumstances could be: