Staff Guide to Supporting Our Community

Free Speech, Academic Freedom and Intellectual Diversity

Common Campus Scenarios Involving the Freedom of Speech

Speakers

A primary mission of higher education is to facilitate and protect the free exchange of ideas. One common way to execute this mission is via speakers discussing a variety of topics and issues. Individuals who disagree with the speaker have the right to demonstrate their differing opinion consistent with established policies (BGSU Freedom of Expression Policy 3341-2-45). Blocking access to a speaker or preventing the speaker from being able to deliver their message is not permitted.

The University can only regulate the time, place and manner of free speech and expressive activities to ensure that normal operations of the institution are not interrupted.

Institutional and Individual Speech

BGSU may not endorse or oppose, as an institution, any controversial belief or policy, except on matters that directly impact the institution’s funding or mission of discovery, improvement and dissemination of knowledge. However, when speaking or writing in their individual capacity, staff must clearly indicate that their remarks are not made in any official university capacity and do not represent an official position of the University as required by the Ethical Conduct and Professional Workplace Behavior Policy 3341-1-2.

Social Media

Social media provides a mechanism for information to be broadly shared – sometimes even anonymously. Some content may even be offensive; however, the University must adhere to the First Amendment, which may not allow the institution to censor the message.

Guidelines for Dealing with Disruptive Students

Prevention

We prepare students regarding the expectations related to the standards for engaging in and with our learning community. This includes parameters on decorum and respect, via the Student Code.

Disruption

If a student becomes disruptive (e.g., blocks an entry way; throws things; uses profane, intimidating, or abusive language) one should first request compliance from the student. If compliance is not received, enlist the support of other University personnel (faculty members, academic administrators, and as a last resort, campus police) to help resolve the situation. Physical force, including touching, should never occur/be used.

Incidents of possible misconduct, harassment, discrimination, etc. should be reported to See It. Hear It. Report It.

Managing Difficult Discussions*

In situations where you know you will be addressing a controversial topic, you can prepare for the discussion in ways that set the stage for success.

Consider possible sources of student views.
On many issues, students’ viewpoints may be influenced by family members, connected to religious/spiritual/moral beliefs or wrapped up in their personal identities, so a challenge to an idea may be seen as a personal challenge as well. Also keep in mind that it is common for the impact of a tense or challenging dialogue to be felt deeply by students not directly involved in the dialogue. Please realize that what is deemed as simply "offensive" to people with some identities may be experienced as an attack by people with others. It is important to be prepared to acknowledge perceived harm in the moment and show a willingness to provide support afterward in order to maintain. Being aware of these deeper origins of student opinions – both for you and their peers – may be useful in approaching delicate conversations.

Lead with your goals.
Contextualize the discussion within the context. Be clear with your students why you are having this conversation and what outcomes you expect. Be ready to reiterate these goals during the discussion and ask the students to redirect the conversation in ways that return to these goals.

Establish some discussion guidelines.
Work with students to establish a set of guidelines for discussion; their input is important here so that the rules are part of the community statements, not just rules you impose. Some possible guidelines include:

• Listen respectfully, without interrupting.
• Allow everyone the opportunity to speak.
• Criticize ideas, not individuals or groups.
• Avoid inflammatory language, including name-calling.
• Ask questions when you don’t understand; don’t assume you know others’ thinking or motivations.
• Don’t expect any individuals to speak on behalf of their gender, race, ethnic group, class, status, etc. (or the groups we perceive them to be a part of).

DURING DISCUSSIONS

Provide a framework and starting point.
Prepare some questions to get the conversation started, balancing the needs for both focus and openness in responses. Avoid questions that seem like there is one right answer. In some cases, it works well to ask not for their own opinions, per se, but a sharing of what opinions they have heard about that topic; such an approach allows you to get the “lay of the land” without anyone feeling too exposed from the start.

Address the difficulty.
If there is some hesitancy in the conversation, consider asking why it is difficult to discuss. Admitting your own discomfort in addressing such issues can make students more comfortable with their own discomfort, especially if you explain or model how you understand it.

Be ready to defer the conversation.
If the conversation gets too heated or off topic, you may want to reach some sort of closure to the immediate discussion and defer the conversation to another time for which everyone can prepare.

Stay a neutral facilitator whenever possible.
Consider the impact of sharing your own opinions on an issue, knowing that your views may conflict with those of your students and could discourage them from participating in the conversation. If you do share your own ideas, be sure to elaborate on your thinking process enough to model the critical thinking you want them to do, not necessarily the outcome.

FOLLOW-UP

Reflect on the conversation dynamics.
Ask students what they would have liked to have done differently in the conversation – either a reflection on the whole group’s behavior or (perhaps more importantly) on how they participated. You might remind them of any frameworks or guidelines as a structure for their reflections. In some cases, it might be worth giving the group a second chance at a discussion.

Share relevant resources as needed.
If you think some students may need assistance processing a difficult discussion, and who may need emotional or psychological support, make sure they know about campus resources available to them.