Occidental 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: |
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Private
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| Federal Circuit: |
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Ninth Circuit |
| Head of Institution: |
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President Jonathan Veitch
Occidental College
Third Floor, Coons Administration Building
1600 Campus Road
Los Angeles, CA 90041
323-259-2691
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| Website: |
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http://www.oxy.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: Code of Student Conduct 12-13
The following, while not exhaustive, represents misconduct subject to conduct action:
a. Conduct which threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person including physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, and/or coercion.
View full policy (PDF, 74 KB).
Student Handbook: Harassment Policy 12-13
Examples of sexual harassment may include: ... 4. A severe, persistent or pervasive pattern of unwelcome conduct that would discomfort or humiliate a reasonable person at whom the conduct was directed that includes one or more of the following: (1) unnecessary touching, patting, hugging, or brushing against a person's body; (2) remarks of a sexual nature about a person's clothing or body; (3) remarks about a sexual activity or speculations about previous sexual experience; or (4) other objectively offensive comments of a sexual nature, including persistent or pervasive sexually explicit statements, questions, jokes, or anecdotes;
5. Severe, persistent, or pervasive visual displays of suggestive, erotic, or degrading sexually-oriented images that are not pedagogically appropriate;
6. Letters, notes or electronic mail containing comments, words, or images described above.
Discriminatory harassment is conduct that is sufficiently severe or pervasive that it creates a hostile working or academic environment which unreasonably interferes with, limits or denies educational or employment access, benefits or opportunities on the basis on a person's protected status, including race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identification, age, religious creed, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status or other status protected by this policy and anti-discrimination and anti-harassment statutes.
View full policy (PDF, 116 KB).
Student Handbook: Code of Student Conduct 12-13
In this Code ‘harassment': (a) is the use, display, or other demonstration of words, gestures, imagery, or physical materials, or the engagement in any form of bodily conduct, on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, alienage, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, or physical or mental disability, which has the effect of creating a hostile and intimidating environment sufficiently severe or pervasive to substantially impair a reasonable person's participation in College programs or activities, or use of College facilities; (b) must target a specific person or persons; and (c) must be addressed directly to that person or persons.
View full policy (PDF, 74 KB).
Posting Policies
Student Handbook: Posting and Publicity Policy 12-13
An event must be registered with Master Calendar before public posting of the event may occur. Postings in the Quad, Samuelson Pavilion, Johnson Student Center, and Rose Hills Plaza must be approved through the Office of Student Life (OSL). Postings in residence halls must be approved through the Office of Residential Education and Housing Services. The administrative or academic department must approve postings in all other Administrative or Academic Buildings who have authority within that facility.
Distribution of handbills or commercial publicity by or for off-campus parties is prohibited without prior approval from OSL.
Planners of student- or campus-sponsored events may distribute handbills in the Quad area only.
View full policy (PDF, 80 KB).
Internet Usage Policies
Student Handbook: Appropriate Use Policy 12-13
Students, faculty, staff, and other members of the Occidental College community will: ... use computing and networking facilities and resources in a manner that is not considered harmful or harassing to a person.
View full policy (PDF, 105 KB).
Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
Bias Incident Reporting 12-13
What is a bias incident? A bias incident is conduct, speech or expression motivated, in whole or in part, by bias or prejudice. It differs from a hate crime in that no criminal activity is involved.
What is a hate incident? A hate incident is an action in which a person is made aware that her/his status is offensive to another, but does not rise to the level of a crime.
You can report a bias or hate-related incident as a witness or a victim. Although it is helpful to tell us who you are, reports can be made anonymously. Filling out the form below will activate the Bias Incident Response Team to follow-up.
View full policy (PDF, 53 KB).
Other Speech Codes
Student Handbook: Code of Student Conduct 12-13
Actions by a student's guest that violate College policies. This includes, but is not limited to: engaging in actions both on and off campus which leads College officials to reasonably believe that it is more likely than not that a student did adversely affect or may adversely affect: (a) the peace / comfort / security of others or the College community; (b) the integrity of the educational or developmental process; or (c) the good name / reputation of the College.
View full policy (PDF, 74 KB).
Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Student Handbook: Right to Dissent and Demonstration Policy 12-13
The right to dissent is essential to academic freedom and scholarly pursuits. Protest against a particular position, action or situation is permitted as long as the protest activity does not restrict the freedom of thought or movement of others who hold different views.
View full policy (PDF, 93 KB).
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The speech codes and policies above were last fully checked via internet and other research means by FIRE in January 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.
