Yellow Light School

North Dakota State University

Yellow light colleges and universities are those institutions with at least one ambiguous policy that too easily encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application. Read more here.

Public or Private: Public
Federal Circuit: Eighth Circuit
Head of Institution: President Dean L Bresciani
North Dakota State University
Office of the President
North Dakota State University
Old Main 102 - PO Box 5167
Fargo, ND 58105
701-231-7211
Dean.Bresciani@ndsu.edu
Website: http://www.ndsu.edu

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Do you have any information, updates, or changes regarding the policies at this institution? Let us know!

On this page, FIRE has excerpted policies that address speech and expression. You may download the full policy in .pdf form, below.

Restrictions on Expressive Rights

Harassment Policies (Learn More)

Yellow light: Code of Student Behavior: Respect for the Protection and Rights of Others 12-13

The face-to-face use of "fighting words" is prohibited. Fighting words are personally abusive epithets that, when addressed to any person, are, as a matter of public knowledge, inherently likely to provoke immediate violent reaction whether or not the reaction occurs.
Behavior in any form that involves an expressed or implied threat to interfere or that has the purpose or reasonably foreseeable effect of interfering with an individual's personal safety, safety of property, academic efforts, employment or participation in university sponsored activities, and causes the person to have a reasonable apprehension that such harm is about to occur is prohibited.
View full policy (PDF, 3086 KB).

Green light: Code of Student Behavior: Harassment 12-13

NDSU prohibits harassment
based on gender, race, color, religion, national origin,
age, disability, sexual orientation, or protected activity
(such as reporting alleged harassment or providing information
related to a grievance). Harassment (based on an individual’s membership in
one or more of the groups identified above) is defined, for
purposes of this policy, as unwelcome verbal or physical
behavior which has the intent or effect of unreasonably
interfering with the individual’s employment or academic
endeavors or creating a hostile, intimidating or offensive
environment.
View full policy (PDF, 3086 KB).

Green light: Code of Student Behavior: Sexual Harassment 12-13

Sexual
harassment is defined as:
"Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors,
and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual
nature constitute sexual harassment when: ... Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably
interfering with an individual’s work or academic
performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive
environment."
View full policy (PDF, 3086 KB).

Yellow light: Anti-Harassment Policy 12-13

Harassment may include (but is not limited to) jokes, derogatory comments, pictures, and/or
direct physical advances.
View full policy (PDF, 33 KB).

Free Speech Zones

Yellow light: Code of Student Behavior: Demonstrations/Parades 12-13

Any on-campus protest, rally, or demonstration
must be registered with the director of the Memorial
Union and University Police and, whenever possible,
at least 24 hours prior to the event.
While the campus must be open
to the free exchange of ideas, the University may
limit the time, place and manner of
demonstrations. All members of the community
are expected to conduct dialogs with civility.
View full policy (PDF, 3086 KB).

Internet Usage Policies

Green light: Code of Student Behavior: Computer Related Inappropriate Behavior 12-13

Using the university’s network system to enter
obscene material into university-owned computers
or send obscene material through the Internet or any
other electronic system is prohibited.
View full policy (PDF, 3086 KB).

Policies on Bias and Hate Speech

Yellow light: NDSU Bias Report Form 12-13

This web site provides NDSU students, faculty, and staff with a web form for reporting acts of bias, bigotry, or hate that occur at NDSU.
Use this Web form to report an act of bias, bigotry, or hate.
NDSU staff who read reports generated by this system do not have access to user ID information so these reports are completely anonymous to these staff (unless the reporter chooses to provide optional contact information at the end of the report form). ... NDSU understands one wanting to remain anonymous. While it's possible for the user's identity to remain anonymous, NDSU can't guarantee absolute confidentiality of the report itself.
View full policy (PDF, 126 KB).

NOTE: You must have Adobe Acrobat installed to view policies in PDF format.

The speech codes and policies above were last fully checked via internet and other research means by FIRE in November 2012. According to FIRE’s research the substantive policies are current at least until this date. Directory information, including the name of the president of the college or university, may have been updated more recently. If any policy has been revised, or if you believe that we are in error, please contact us.