Yellow Light School

Reed College

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: Private
Federal Circuit: Ninth Circuit
Head of Institution: President John R Kroger
Reed College
3203 SE Woodstock Boulevard
Portland, OR 97202
503-777-7500
presidentsoffice@reed.edu
Website: http://web.reed.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: Guidebook to Reed: Community Policies - Sexual Harassment 12-13

Membership in this community, as governed by the honor principle, imposes on students, faculty, and staff an obligation to respect the dignity and autonomy of others, to treat one another civilly and without regard to factors irrelevant to participation in the life of the college.
More subtle forms of behavior, such as innuendoes and jokes of a sexual nature, may constitute sexual harassment when they contribute to an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.
Sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexually directed remarks, or other conduct of a sexual nature constitute harassment when:
...
2. such conduct directed against an individual persists despite its rejection; or such conduct directed against an individual is unwelcome, and the person engaging in the conduct knew or should have known the conduct to be unwelcome; or

3. such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual's academic or work performance or is so pervasive or severe that it creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.
View full policy (PDF, 92 KB).

Policies Restricting Freedom of Conscience (Learn More)

Yellow light: Guidebook to Reed: College Organization - Living with the Honor Principle 12-13

The most common formulation of the honor principle states that any action that causes unnecessary pain or discomfiture to any member of the Reed community, group within the community, or to the community as a whole is a violation of the honor principle.
View full policy (PDF, 91 KB).

Internet Usage Policies

Yellow light: Reed College Computer User Agreement 12-13

Some examples of prohibited uses are: ... sending obscene, abusive, harassing, or threatening messages.
View full policy (PDF, 175 KB).

Advertised Commitments to Free Expression

Green light policy: Guidebook to Reed: Community Policies - Dissent 12-13

Reed College considers the right of free speech, and therefore that of dissent to be fundamental to its life as an academic community. The exercise of the right of dissent is not something to be grudgingly tolerated, but actively encouraged.
View full policy (PDF, 41 KB).

Green light policy: Guidebook to Reed: Community Policies - Publications and Public Occasions of Expression 12-13

Publications, exhibitions, public lectures, and public performances under the sponsorship of the college or of recognized organizations within the Reed Community shall not be subject to institutional censorship. Publications supported wholly by Student Body funds, or by Student Body funds supplemented by revenues external to the college, shall not be subject to censorship or editorial control by the college, by the Student Body Senate, or by any member of the academic or administrative faculty.
View full policy (PDF, 42 KB).

Green light policy: Guidebook to Reed: Community Policies - Public Speaking and Solicitation 12-13

Reed College is committed to the principles of free inquiry and free expression, and this means that expressions of opinions that some people find abhorrent must at times be tolerated.
View full policy (PDF, 78 KB).

Green light policy: Guidebook to Reed College: Community Policies - Academic Freedom and Responsibility 12-13

[W]e reaffirm one another's rights to freedom of inquiry and expression in coursework, scholarship, and the day-to-day life of the Reed community.
View full policy (PDF, 40 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 September 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.