San Diego 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.
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)
Guide to Living in the Halls: Policies & Regulations- Physical Abuse and Harassment 11-12
Physical, verbal and other abusive behavior, and threats of physical abuse toward residents, guests, or staff are violations of policy and will not be tolerated.
View full policy (PDF, 130 KB).
Office of Employee Relations & Compliance: Sexual Harassment 11-12
Examples of sexually harassing conduct may include but shall not be limited to the following: (a) sexual assault, (b) derogatory comments of a sexual nature, (c) displaying sexually suggestive pictures or objects, (d) graphic verbal commentaries about a person's body, (e) impeding or blocking movements, (f) jokes of a sexual nature, (g) slurs of a sexual nature, (h) suggestive gestures, (i) unwelcome touching. Some of these examples may not, however, constitute sexual harassment if appropriate to reasonable academic purposes.
The California Education Code, sec. 212.5, states: "Sexual harassment means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature, made by someone from or in the work or educational setting, under any of the following conditions: ... The conduct has the purpose or effect of having a negative impact upon the individual's work or academic performance, or of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment."
Conduct may be found to be sexually harassing if it is pervasive or repetitive and sufficiently severe to alter the conditions of employment, education, or participation in university-sponsored activities or is a single incident sufficiently outrageous or harmful in and of itself that it substantially alters the conditions of the environment for the complainant or interferes with a person's right to pursue an education or to perform a job-related responsibility.
Sexual harassment shall be the unwelcome imposition of sexual attention often in the context of a relationship of unequal power.
This policy shall apply to all persons at the university or attending university sponsored classes, events, and programs.
Sexual harassment shall be any conduct, physical or verbal, that is sexual and has the effect of unreasonably interfering with a person's or a group's educational or work performance or that creates an intimidating, hostile, or abusive educational or work environment.
View full policy (PDF, 95 KB).
Student Organization Handbook: Harassment and Abusive Behavior 11-12
Officially recognized organizations may
not engage in any organizational activity
that makes specific members of the campus community the subject of
harassment, intimidation, or hostility
because of their race, religion, color,
ethnicity, citizenship, gender, gender
identity or expression, disability, sexual
orientation, or national origin.
View full policy (PDF, 21 KB).
Standards for Student Conduct 11-12
Conduct that threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person within or related to the University community, including
1. physical abuse, threats, intimidation, or harassment.
View full policy (PDF, 82 KB).
Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility (Learn More)
Standards for Student Conduct 11-12
Students are expected to be good citizens and to engage in responsible behaviors that reflect well upon their university, to be civil to one another and to others in the campus community, and contribute positively to student and university life.
View full policy (PDF, 82 KB).
Rights and Responsibilities as a Member of the Campus Community 11-12
The following Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities clarifies the rights, freedoms and responsibilities afforded to all students at San Diego State University, which include but are not limited to: ... The responsibility to treat all members of the campus community with civility, respect, and courtesy.
At San Diego State University, students are invited to be active members of the educational community. As with any community, its members serve a vital role in determining acceptable standards of conduct, which include:
...
* Actions that are civil, courteous and respectful of all members of the campus community, their property, and the property of the University.
...
* Group behavior that promotes mutual respect, equality and safety of its members, and opposes those acts that harass, intimidate or haze its members.
View full policy (PDF, 62 KB).
Internet Usage Policies
Student Responsibilities for Academic Computer Use 11-12
Communication through electronic mail should be encouraged and supported in the same manner as in classrooms, publications, and correspondence through standard hard copy mail. Professional codes of conduct shall prevail, and users shall adhere to standards of civil communication.
View full policy (PDF, 544 KB).
Standards for Student Conduct 11-12
Use of computing facilities and resource to send obscene or intimidating and abusive messages.
View full policy (PDF, 82 KB).
Advertised Commitments to Free Expression
Student Organization Handbook: Freedom of Expression and the Campus Community 11-12
Freedom of expression is a tenet of higher education; is integral to the mission of the University and to its students, staff, and faculty; is a central and inviolate freedom to learn and teach; necessary for an educated populace; is a requisite to a free society; is incompatible with the suppression of opinions; is incompatible with prior restraint; encompasses forms of expression other than speech; and defends the expression we abhor as well as the expression we support.
View full policy (PDF, 33 KB).
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The speech codes and policies above were last fully checked via internet and other research means by FIRE in August 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.
