Virginia Polytechnic Institute and 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: Fourth Circuit
Head of Institution: President Charles W Steger
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Office of the President
210 Burruss Hall
Blacksburg
Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-231-6231
steger@vt.edu
Website: http://www.vt.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)

Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy 10-11

Discrimination/ Harassment includes the following behaviors: ... Conduct of any type (oral, written, graphic, electronic or physical) that is based upon a person’s age, color,
disability, gender (including pregnancy), national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation,
or veteran status and unreasonably interferes with the person's work or academic performance or participation
in university activities, or creates a working or learning environment that a reasonable person would find
hostile, threatening or intimidating.
View full policy (PDF, 3794 KB).

Hokie Handbook: Student Code of Conduct- Sexual Harassment 10-11

Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature when ... 3. 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 work or academic environment (e.g., a pattern of conduct that causes discomfort or humiliation, or both, such as sexually explicit statements, questions, jokes, anecdotes, visual materials, or literature).
View full policy (PDF, 59 KB).

Policies Restricting Freedom of Conscience (Learn More)

Virginia Tech Principles of Community 10-11

[W]e adopt and practice the following principles as fundamental to our on-going efforts to increase access and inclusion and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members: ... We reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including those based on age, color, disability, gender, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran status. We take individual and collective responsibility for helping to eliminate bias and discrimination and for increasing our own understanding of these issues through education, training, and interaction with others.
View full policy (PDF, 69 KB).

Free Speech Zones

University Facilities Usage and Event Approval 10-11

Use of a facility must be scheduled and approved prior to the event.
The Organizations must have approval from the university to hold an event or activity. The sponsor of the event must reserve space to hold the event. Request for space also serves as a request to hold the event. Confirmation of space implies that the event has been approved.
View full policy (PDF, 6811 KB).

Posting Policies

Advertising on Campus 10-11

The advertisement, publicity, sign, banner, flyer, or literature must be in good taste and appropriate for its intended purpose.
View full policy (PDF, 2536 KB).

Internet Usage Policies

Acceptable Use of Information Systems at Virginia Tech 10-11

In making acceptable use of resources you must NOT: ... * use university systems for commercial or partisan political purposes, such as using electronic mail to circulate advertising for products or for political candidates. * use mail or messaging services to harass or intimidate another person, for example, by broadcasting unsolicited messages, by repeatedly sending unwanted mail, or by using someone else's name or userid.
View full policy (PDF, 57 KB).

Policies on Bias and Hate Speech

SafeWatch Frequently Asked Questions 10-11

Is the reporting system only for acts of violence?

No, the reporting system is for any incidents of prejudice and discrimination regarding age, color, disability, gender, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran status as outlined in the Virginia Tech Principles of Community or any incidents that negatively impact the Virginia Tech community. ... [O]ne of the primary goals of SafeWatch is to promote involvement of the university and larger communities in dialogs and collaborative activities that foster a positive, supportive environment for all groups.
View full policy (PDF, 98 KB).

SafeWatch 10-11

To further support a diverse and inclusive campus community, Virginia Tech has launched "SafeWatch"-- a new university program that promotes individual and collective responsibility among students, faculty, staff and guests to incorporate the Virginia Tech Principles of Community into interpersonal and inter-group relationships.
SAFEWATCH is established to: ... Initiate timely action in response to online reports by facilitating communication to appropriate departments.
Incidents that create a hostile, unsafe, unwelcome, or insecure environment should be reported to SafeWatch.
View full policy (PDF, 105 KB).

Advertised Commitments to Free Expression

Hokie Handbook: University Policies for Student Life- Demonstrations and Picketing 10-11

As an academic community, Virginia Tech values the rights of free expression and peaceable assembly and does not intend to restrict the exercise of these rights.
View full policy (PDF, 64 KB).

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The speech codes and policies above were last fully checked via internet and other research means by FIRE in July 2011. 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.