Yellow Light School

Pennsylvania State University - University Park

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: Third Circuit
Head of Institution: President Rodney Erickson
Pennsylvania State University - University Park
President's Office
201 Old Main
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-7611
president@psu.edu
Website: http://www.psu.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)

Green light: Code of Conduct 12-13

Harassment is behavior that is sufficiently severe or pervasive so as to
threaten an individual or substantially interfere with the individual’s employment, education or
access to University programs, activities or opportunities, and that would detrimentally affect a
reasonable person under the same circumstances.

Behaviors that meet the above definition may include, but are not limited to, the following: ... * directing physical or verbal conduct at an individual because of the individual’s age,
ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity or veteran status ... * engaging in a course of conduct, including following the person without proper authority,
under circumstances which demonstrate intent to place the other person in reasonable fear
of bodily injury or to cause the other person substantial emotional distress
View full policy (PDF, 180 KB).

Green light: Policy on Sexual Harassment 12-13

For purposes of this policy, sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: ... such conduct is sufficiently severe or pervasive so as to substantially interfere with the individual’s employment, education or access to University programs, activities and opportunities. To constitute prohibited harassment, the conduct must be such that it detrimentally affects the individual in question and would also detrimentally affect a reasonable person under the same circumstances.
View full policy (PDF, 127 KB).

Green light: Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment 12-13

Harassment is a form of discrimination consisting of physical or verbal conduct that (1) is directed at an individual because of the individual's age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, genetic information, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status; and (2) is sufficiently severe or pervasive so as to substantially interfere with the individual's employment, education or access to University programs, activities and opportunities. To constitute prohibited harassment, the conduct must be such that it detrimentally affects the individual in question and would also detrimentally affect a reasonable person under the same circumstances.

Harassment may include, but is not limited to, verbal or physical attacks, threats, slurs or derogatory comments that meet the definition set forth above. Whether the alleged conduct constitutes prohibited harassment depends on the totality of the particular circumstances, including the nature, frequency and duration of the conduct in question, the location and context in which it occurs and the status of the individuals involved.
View full policy (PDF, 124 KB).

Free Speech Zones

Yellow light: Use of Outdoor Areas for Expressive Activities 12-13

[T]he University expects that persons engaging in expressive activity will demonstrate civility, concern for the safety of persons and property, respect for University activities and for those who may disagree with their message, and will comply with University rules.
The following areas of the University Park Campus have been designated as areas suitable
for expressive activity:
* Old Main Front Patio
* Willard Building Patio area between Willard and Obelisk
* Palmer Art Museum Plaza
* Northwest Corner of Shortledge Road and College Avenue
* Fisher Plaza
* IST Plaza
* Pattee Library Mall Entrance Plaza
* HUB-Robeson - Rear sidewalk pad (not the Patio)
* HUB-Robeson - Lawn
* Osmond Fountain Area (after 5 pm)
* Area under the Willaman Gateway to the Life Sciences
View full policy (PDF, 217 KB).

Posting Policies

Yellow light: Terms, Conditions, & Regulations: Residence Halls 12-13

Students may decorate the window(s) in their individual residence hall room as well as the window(s) in their hall lounge provided that it is done according to the guidelines that follow. ... Any materials found to be offensive or outside the boundaries of reasonable community expectations will be referred to the area Residence Life staff.
View full policy (PDF, 1009 KB).

Advertised Commitments to Free Expression

Green light policy: Use of Outdoor Areas for Expressive Activities 12-13

A university is inherently a marketplace of ideas, and Penn State encourages and protects the rights of members of the University community to express divergent viewpoints and opinions on matters of concern.
View full policy (PDF, 217 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 March 2013. 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.