Campus Demonstration Policy

Peaceful Assembly, Demonstration, and Protest Policy & Guidelines

The free exchange of ideas and the expression of dissent within the Keuka College community are considered indications of intellectual curiosity and social responsibility, which are important elements in our College’s values and our honor code, the Way of the Wolf. The College is committed to the free and open exchange of ideas—a principle upon which higher education is built.

Your rights and responsibilities to speech, expression, press, assembly, and protest are outlined in the Student Handbook.

Recognizing that certain ideas may be offensive, discomforting, or disagreeable to some members of our community, the College makes every effort to ensure the open expression of such ideas so long as this expression takes place within the bounds of mutual respect and civility. Permission to engage in peaceful assembly or protest at any Keuka College location does not imply acceptance of or endorsement by the College of the views expressed. In addition, Keuka College may provide additional information and perspectives on the topic.

No attempts to disrupt civility or impede another’s free expression will be tolerated. If attempts occur, any violations would be documented and taken through the student conduct process at Keuka College. The Office of Campus Safety with the assistance of local law enforcement may intervene to halt or stop such attempts from happening and/or continuing. Violators may be issued a directive to leave and/or vacate the campus.

Forms of expression take many forms including a desire to organize and demonstrate in peaceful protest. It is the responsibility of all members of the College community to maintain channels of communication that will foster a climate favorable to the freedom of expression and exchange of ideas inclusive of demonstration.

All letters, posters, or electronic forms of communication distributed to the campus community regarding any issue will identify the author(s) or group(s), so that dialogue and understanding may be achieved. All College community members, including faculty, staff, students, guests, and visitors, must adhere to College posting regulations at all times. Refer to “Institutional Policies” in the Student Handbook.

Therefore, Keuka College has created guiding documents, procedures, and protocols that will assist a student in the planning of a peaceful assembly or protest on College property. These guidelines and procedures for organizing are provided below.

Definitions

Assembly: the action of gathering together as a group for a common purpose
Demonstration: a public meeting, rally, or march for the purpose of protesting against or expressing views on a particular issue or subject
Disruption (or Disturbance): a breakdown of peaceful behavior
Disruptive Behavior: conduct that causes or is intended to cause disruption on the campus or at or in any building or facility owned, operated, or controlled by the College. Disruptive behavior may include but is not limited to:
- knowingly denying an individual(s): (a) freedom of movement; (b) use of the property or facilities; (c) right of ingress or egress to the property or facilities;
- knowingly impeding, obstructing, interfering with, or disrupting: (a) the performance of college duties by a college trustee, officer, employee, student, or agent; or (b) the pursuit of educational activities by the college, its trustees, officers, employees, students, agents, or invitees; or
- knowingly occupying or remaining in or at any building, property, or facility owned, operated, or controlled by the college after receiving a directive to depart.

Peaceful Assembly, Demonstration, and Protest Guidelines

Keuka College Student Code of Community Standards states that each student, as a community member, has the right to freedom of speech, expression, press, assembly, and protest, except where such rights conflict with the core business purposes of the College or are in direct conflict with the College’s general expectations for appropriate conduct.

When exercising these freedoms, please remember that our Student Code of Community Standards also states that each student is expected to live out the Way of the Wolf as a member of the Keuka College community:

APPRECIATION, CARE, and RESPECT for diversity in people, culture, beliefs, ideas, practices, and experiences;
INTEGRITY in pursuit of personal and academic excellence;
LEADERSHIP and SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY as a local, national, and global citizen;
To read, know, and comply with all published College policies, procedures, rules, and regulations (including but not limited to these that appear below):

Section B - Safety and Student Wellness

Please ensure that your assembly or protest meets the above criteria. Failure to comply may initially result in a premature halt to the demonstration and could include student conduct action or a directive to leave campus.

For further discussion about how to make arrangements or to address directly with the College administration the concern that underlies your assembly or protest, please follow the directions below under “Scheduling Information” and contact the Office of Student Life, Dahlstrom Student Center, at (315) 279-5215.

Scheduling Information

Please complete the following steps to propose your event, seek approval, and reserve campus space:

Submit your proposal to the Office of Student Life, utilizing the Campus Demonstration Registration Form.
Schedule a meeting with the Associate Vice President of Student Life & Dean of Students, or their designee, to ensure that all parties are clear on the College’s expectations and the purpose, plan, and scope of the activity to ensure a smooth and successful event. After the meeting, the AVP of Student Life & Dean of Students will determine if the proposal can be approved.
If your event is approved, reserve your space through the Virtual EMS web portal with your approval document from the College.
The AVP of Student Life & Dean of Students will notify the campus community of the approval prior to the event.

Reminder: Permission to engage in peaceful assembly or protest at any Keuka College location does not imply acceptance of or endorsement by the College of the views expressed.

For any area desired, whether indoor or outdoor, the area designated as appropriate for peaceful assembly/protest must adhere to the following stipulations:

Any pedestrian(s) not interested or involved may not be impeded,
Classes and necessary College business are not to be disrupted, and
All federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances as well as College policies and procedures must be followed.

State laws and College policies that may govern demonstrations include but are not limited to:

The College recognizes that no definition of “obstructive” can describe all possible situations, but as a general guideline defines obstructive demonstrations as those at which there is disruption of access to education or to College facilities or activities relevant to the College’s mission.

The Associate Vice President of Student Life & Dean of Students will work with the Vice President for Student Development, the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost, the Vice President for Finance & Administration, their designee(s) as needed, and the Director of Campus Safety to review and decide upon requests to hold a campus demonstration and reserve a designated location.

Students, who make prior requests to peacefully assemble or protest and have been approved, will have their location confirmed in response to their request.
Please note that should a spontaneous assembly/protest form, an alternate location may need to be identified should the location impede other campus activity or business.

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Institutional Policies