Light School

Bennington College

Public or Private: Private
Federal Circuit: Second Circuit
Head of Institution: President Elizabeth Coleman
Bennington College
1 College Drive
Bennington, VT 05201
802-440-4300
ecoleman@bennington.edu
Website: http://www.bennington.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)

Student Handbook: Student Conduct 08-09

The following actions by students violate College standards of
conduct ... Harassment, abuse, coercion, injurious conduct. Physical or
verbal abuse and threatening and intimidating behavior of
any sort, including not only direct threats of any kind, but
also psychological and sexual harassment. Examples of such
conduct include, but are not limited to:
a. Threats, intimidation, physical abuse, verbal harassment,
or derogatory statements directed towards other students,
visitors, or College employees.
b. Abusive, obscene, vulgar, loud, or disruptive language or
conduct directed toward and offensive to a member of or
a visitor to the College community.
c. Discriminatory behavior with regard to age, actual or perceived
sex, creed, disability, race, color, national origin,
sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any
other legally protected category.
View full policy (PDF, 46 KB).

Student Handbook: Policy and Procedures Governing Sexual Harassment 08-09

Sexual harassment may be described as sexual assault, coerced
sexual intercourse, unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other physical or verbal conduct of a sexual
nature where: ... Such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering
with an individual’s academic or work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational
environment.
Examples of sexual harassment include, but are not limited
to the following, when such behavior or acts come within one
of the definitions above: ... 6. Displaying or transmitting sexually suggestive pictures,
objects, cartoons, or posters if it is known or should be
known that the behavior is unwelcome.
7. Continuing to write sexually suggestive notes or letters if it is known or should be known that the person does not welcome
such behavior.
8. Referring to or calling a person a sexualized name if it is
known or should be known that the person does not welcome such behavior.
9. Regularly telling sexual jokes or using sexually vulgar or explicit language in the presence of a person if it is known or should be known that the person does not welcome such behavior. ... 11.Derogatory or provoking remarks about or relating to a person’s sex.
12.Harassing acts or behavior directed against a person on the
basis of his or her sex.
View full policy (PDF, 26 KB).

Advertised Commitments to Free Expression

Academic Freedom Policy 08-09

The College recognizes that the free play of ideas, with all its attendant controversies, is indispensable to the act of discovery and to the dissemination of knowledge.
In the College, as in society as a whole, freedom of speech and expression cannot be absolute. For example, speech that is libelous, slanderous, incites to riot, or is unlawfully discriminatory or harassing is not constitutionally protected. Subject to these commonly accepted limits, Bennington College endorses the following principles ... Faculty and instructors are free to teach and to discuss any aspect of a topic pertinent to the understanding of the subject matter of the course that is being taught ... Faculty and instructors are free to act and to speak in their capacity as public citizens without institutional censorship or discipline, but must indicate in such instances particularly when speaking as professionals that they are not acting as representatives of the College.
View full policy (PDF, 92 KB).

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The speech codes and policies above were last fully checked via internet and other research means by FIRE in March 2009. 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.