PAtownhall.com
Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas
Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas
PAtownhall.com
Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas
Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas
by News Release
Table of Contents
March 13, 2008
1. Harvey Silverglate Delivers Lecture at Brandeis
2. Speech Code of the Month: Valdosta State University
3. Victory for Freedom of the Press at University of Michigan
4. Recent Media Coverage
5. Recent Posts to The Torch
6. Recent Multimedia Content
HARVEY SILVERGLATE DELIVERS LECTURE AT BRANDEIS
FIRE's co-founder and chairman, Harvey Silverglate, spoke to students and faculty last night at Brandeis University. In the midst of the controversy surrounding Professor Donald Hindley and the Brandeis administration's lack of concern for its faculty's academic freedom, Harvey gave a sorely needed lecture entitled "The Death of Free Speech, Parody, and Vigorous Debate on Campus: Why Has It Happened, and What Is to Be Done?" Demonstrating the broad appeal of this issue, the presentation was co-sponsored by a wide range of student organizations: the College Republicans, the College Democrats, the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society, and Gen Ed Now.
SPEECH CODE OF THE MONTH: VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY
FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for March 2008: Valdosta State University. Valdosta State, a public university with over 11,000 students, maintains just one small "Free Expression Area" on its large campus. To make matters worse, the Free Expression Area is only available between the hours of "noon and 1 pm and/or 5 and 6 pm"—just two hours a day—and must be reserved 48 hours in advance, without exception. This free speech zone policy—easily the worst FIRE has ever seen—is just one more example of Valdosta State's disregard for the First Amendment: the university already has a spot on FIRE's Red Alert list for its shameful treatment of student Hayden Barnes, who was expelled for peacefully protesting the construction of new parking garages on campus.
VICTORY FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AT UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
In a victory for freedom of the press on campus, the University of Michigan (UM) has withdrawn a proposed policy that would have enacted sharp restrictions on the distribution of student publications. As FIRE reported last month, the policy, drafted over the past two years by UM's College of Literature, Science and the Arts (LSA), would have required that all student publications register with the Board of Student Publications or the Michigan Student Assembly in order to distribute publications inside LSA buildings. The policy would have established a tight limit on the number of registered publications, which would have resulted in some publications being unable to distribute their materials within LSA buildings at all. Further, registered publications would have been banned from any distribution whatsoever between April 14th and September 15th. Rather than quietly cede their access to the student body, however, two student publications—The Michigan Daily and The Michigan Review—fought back by running stories examining the likely impact of the policy once implemented. Each paper contacted FIRE for comment and analysis. Without the efforts of the two papers, which successfully cultivated public pressure on UM to reverse the policies, it is unlikely future UM students would enjoy the same multitude of student media voices as they do now. FIRE was only too happy to help.
RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE
Tuscaloosa News, March 8, "Free speech or disorderly conduct?," by Adam Jones
· · ·
The Daily O'Collegian, March 5, "Respect civil discourse on OSU campus"
· · ·
More media coverage at thefire.org »
RECENT POSTS TO THE TORCH
March 13, "Protest at University of Alabama Raises Concerns Over Free Speech Zone," Luke Sheahan
March 13, "Greg Speaking at Stanford Law Today," Erin Royce
March 12, "Harvey Silverglate Speaking at Brandeis University Tonight," Erin Royce
March 11, "Twin Victories At Central Washington, Montclair State as First Amendment Trumps Student Government Censorship," William Creeley
March 11, "Brandeis Faculty Continues to Revolt in Hindley Case," Adam Kissel
Read The Torch at thefire.org »
RECENT MULTIMEDIA CONTENT
FIRE in Action: Valdosta State University
'FIREside Chats' Episode 104: FIRE's Case at Valdosta State University
View more multimedia at thefire.org »
