/Institutions/Pensacola-State-College/json/2014-2015/Catalog-local.json

/Institutions/Pensacola-State-College/json/2014-2015/Catalog.json

2014-2015 Catalog > Student Handbook > Student Responsibilities > Speech and Publication Guidelines

Speech and Publication Guidelines

Guest Speakers

The freedom of speech and assembly guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth amendments of the United States Constitution shall be enjoyed by the students of Pensacola State College including the opportunity to hear off-campus or outside speakers on the College campus. Free discussions of subjects of controversial nature shall not be curtailed.

Students at Pensacola State College are expected to accept fully the responsibilities that accompany the freedoms of speech and assembly which they enjoy. When inviting an outside speaker, a student organization is charged with the responsibility of making a choice that reflects the students’ genuine concern for the best interest and welfare not only of their own organization but of the College and the community as well.

Policies concerning the issuance of invitations to outside speakers shall be limited to the following:

1. A request to invite an outside speaker will be considered only when made by an organized student group recognized by the College.
2. Invitations by an organized group shall not be issued to an outside speaker without prior written concurrence by the President of the College, or such person or committee as may be designated by the President (such person or committee thereafter referred to as his or her authorized designee), for scheduling of speaker dates and assignments of campus facilities.
3. Any speaker request shall be made in writing by an officer of the student organization desiring to sponsor the proposed speaker not later than ten calendar days prior to the date of the proposed speaking engagement. This request shall contain the name of the sponsoring organization; the proposed date, time and location of the meeting; the expected size of the audience; and topic of the speech. Any request not acted upon by the President, or his or her authorized designee, within four days after submission shall be deemed granted. A request made by a recognized organization may be denied only if the President or his or her authorized designee determines, after proper inquiry, that the proposed speech will constitute a clear and present danger to the institution’s orderly operation by the speaker’s advocacy of such actions as

   1. The violent overthrow of the government of the United States, the state of Florida, or any political subdivision thereof;

   2. The willful damage or destruction, or seizure and subversion of the institution’s buildings or other property;

   3. The forcible disruption or impairment of, or interference with, the institution’s buildings or other property;

   4. The physical harm, coercion, intimidation or other invasion of lawful rights of the institution’s officials, faculty members or students;

   5. Other campus disorders of a violent nature.

      In determining the existence of a clear and present danger, the President or his or her authorized designee may consider all relevant factors, including whether such speaker has, within the past five years, incited violence resulting in the destruction of property at any state educational institution or willfully caused the forcible disruption of regularly scheduled classes or other educational functions at any such institution.

4. Where the request for an outside speaker is denied, any sponsoring organization thereby aggrieved shall, upon application to the President or his or her authorized designee, obtain a hearing within two days following the filing of its appeal before the Student/ Faculty Relations Panel for a de novo consideration of the request. The matter may be referred to the District Board of Trustees of Pensacola State College if the Student/Faculty Relations Panel believes that the request was improperly denied by the President. Any sponsoring organization aggrieved by the action of the Student/Faculty Judiciary or the District Board of Trustees in denying the request may obtain judicial review upon application at any court of competent jurisdiction, state or federal, by presenting its verified petition setting forth the grounds of complaint and giving adequate notice of such filing to the President. Upon a hearing to be conducted as soon as practicable, and at such time and place as the court may prescribe, the court shall either reverse or affirm the decision of the President as may be proper under the law and facts.
5. When the request for an outside speaker is granted and the speaker accepts the invitation, the sponsoring organization shall inform the President or his or her authorized designee in writing immediately. The president or his or her authorized designee may, at his or her discretion, require that the meeting be chaired by a member of the administration or faculty and may further require a statement to be made at the meeting that the views presented are not necessarily those of the institution or of the sponsoring group. In accepting the invitation to speak, the speaker assumes full responsibility for any violation of law committed by him while he is on campus.

Public Address Area

1. Students, faculty, administration, staff or non-students may use the address area for free speech, advocacy, and recruiting any time the College is officially in session. The area used for this purpose on the Pensacola campus is defined as the triangle directly in front of the Student Center and bounded by the sidewalks. This area is identified on the campus map and does not include the sidewalks, which are used as boundaries. The address area on the Warrington campus is on the south side of the west entrance to Building 3600. On the Milton Campus, it is just to the North of the entry to the covered walkway to building 4200.
2. Although no prior request for use of the area need be made for extemporaneous expression, individuals reserving the use of the area have priority.
3. When reservations are made for use of the area, they will be made on a first-come, first-served basis by the appropriate Student Leadership and Activities Office.
4. Individuals using the speaker’s area during extemporaneous discussion must, as a matter of courtesy, yield the platform after a reasonable amount of time when others desire to speak.
5. Speech within the address area is subject to the regulations of the College and all local, state and federal laws. Individuals who use speech which defames another, which is obscene, or which constitutes a clear and present danger to the institution’s orderly operation may be enjoined by the College and such speech may provide grounds for action under the Code of Conduct. The provisions of the Code of Conduct apply to the address area as well as other areas of the campus.

Posting, Distributing, Exhibiting Printed or Filmed Material

Students may distribute free non-commercial literature within the public address areas set aside by the College. Tables and easels may be set in designated areas. In these areas, signs may be used in conjunction with the tables. Tables should be supervised at all times. In the event of congestion or unreasonable interference with the flow of students passing through the area, the campus dean or his or her designee may reasonably regulate such activity.

Non-commercial notices may be posted by students and registered student groups on all bulletin boards. All postings must be cleared through the appropriate office to avoid congestion and to obtain optimum use of facilities available.

Students are expected to use mature judgment and a sense of discretion in the publication, posting, and distribution of any material on campus and to realize that they and their group or organization must accept responsibility for the consequences of their behavior.

The President or his or her authorized designee may prohibit the distribution on campus of any material or publication or the showing on campus of any films containing obscene or defamatory matter, or containing matter which the President or his or her authorized designee reasonably believes would incite others to take action which would substantially disrupt or materially interfere with school activities. Should the President prohibit the distribution of any film on campus, the student or recognized student group thereby aggrieved shall, upon written application to the President or his or her authorized designee, obtain a hearing within two days following the filing of the appeal before the Student Relations Panel. The appeal procedure shall be the same as provided in the case where the President denies a student organization’s request to invite an outside speaker to appear on campus.

Responsibility for editorial or other content of publications distributed on campus shall lie with the sponsoring agency, group, or organization. All publications distributed on campus should appropriately indicate that the opinions expressed therein are not necessarily those of the College or of the student body. The use of the College name, seal, or other official insignia in printed matter shall not imply that the College approves, supports, or endorses the contents.

1. On the Pensacola campus, all posting must be approved by the Student Leadership and Activities Office; on the Milton and Warrington campuses, all posting must be approved by the Student Services Office.
2. Posting includes the following: posters, small banners, sheet banners hung between trees, stake signs, changeable signs, table tents, flyers, rolling signs, easel signs, and commercial advertisements.
3. Posting may be done two weeks prior to any club/ organization or Pensacola State College sponsored event including athletics, intramurals, homecoming, mid-term, organization week, and various elections.
4. Posting outlined in (2) above may be done on all campus bulletin boards, in the gymnasium, and on the carpeted wall in the Warrington Student Services area.
5. No posting will be allowed on doors or glass or on building walls other than the gymnasium interior walls.
6. Any posting should be removed within one school day after the event has taken place. It is the responsibility of those putting up the posting to take it down.