Yellow Light School

University of California - Riverside

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: Ninth Circuit
Head of Institution: Chancellor Jane C Conoley
University of California - Riverside
Office of the Chancellor
4148 Hinderaker Hall
Riverside, CA 92521
909-787-5201
Website: http://www.ucr.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)

Yellow light: Residence Hall Handbook: Student Conduct Policies- Abuse, Threatening Behavior, Harassment, Stalking and Violence 12-13

Direct and indirect
forms of abuse, threats, coercion, harassment, intimidation,
stalking, bullying, unwanted personal contact, violence against
another person or their property or causing the reasonable
apprehension of physical or verbal harm, are prohibited. This
policy includes but, is not limited to, physical, electronic,
written, and verbal interactions.
View full policy (PDF, 76 KB).

Green light: Standards of Conduct: Sexual, Racial, and Other Forms of Harassment 12-13

Harassment is defined as conduct that is so severe and/or pervasive, and objectively offensive, and that so substantially impairs a person's access to University programs or activities, that the person is effectively denied equal access to the University's resources and opportunities on the basis of his or her race, color, national or ethnic origin, alienage, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veterans status, physical or mental disability, or perceived membership to any of these classifications.
View full policy (PDF, 608 KB).

Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility (Learn More)

Yellow light: Residence Hall Handbook: Student Conduct Policies - Disorderly Conduct 12-13

Lewd, indecent,
or obscene conduct or expression (including oral, visual,
and other means), is prohibited. Viewing of sexually explicit
materials or engaging in sexual acts in common areas is not
permitted.
View full policy (PDF, 64 KB).

Yellow light: UCR Principles of Community 12-13

We as members of the University of California, Riverside affirm our responsibility
and commitment to creating and fostering a respectful, cooperative, professional
and courteous campus environment. Implicit in this mutual respect is the right of
each of us to live, study, teach, and work free from harassment or denigration on
the basis of race/ethnicity, age, religious or political preference, gender,
transgender, sexual orientation, nation of origin, or physical abilities. Any violation of
this right by verbal or written abuse, threats, harassment, intimidation, or violence
against person or property will be considered a violation of the principles of
community that are an integral part of the University of California's focus, goals, and
mission (and subject to sanction according to University policies and procedures).
View full policy (PDF, 47 KB).

Free Speech Zones

Yellow light: Events Policy: Public Assembly and Expression- Time, Place and Manner 12-13

Any activity that is pre-advertised, requires sound amplification or can reasonably be expected to attract a crowd of 25 or more must be scheduled in advance through the Non-Academic Scheduling Office and is limited to the Bell Tower or Speaker's Mound area.
View full policy (PDF, 1116 KB).

Internet Usage Policies

Yellow light: Residence Hall Handbook: Computing Policies- Online Harassment 12-13

E-mail spamming and other forms of
abuse or harassment are not permitted. This includes the
use of the network to connect to and use 3rd-party sites (i.e.
MySpace, Facebook, etc.) for the purpose of abuse and/or
harassment.
View full policy (PDF, 65 KB).

Yellow light: Electronic Communications Policy 12-13

University electronic communications resources may not be used for: ... Uses that violate other university or campus policies or guidelines (the latter include, but are not limited to, policies and guidelines regarding intellectual property and sexual or other forms of harassment).
View full policy (PDF, 292 KB).

Policies on Bias and Hate Speech

Yellow light: University of California Campus Climate 12-13

Expressions of Bias: A general communication not directed toward a particular individual, which disparages a group of people on the basis of some characteristic ....
Hate Speech: Hate speech is any speech, gesture or conduct, writing, or display that may incite violence or prejudicial action against someone based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, gender, gender identity, ethnicity ....
If you experience or observe behavior that is inconsistent with our Principles of Community, please report it.

You may report in a variety of ways:

*Report anonymously or by name, via this Campus Climate page, by selecting the University of California campus where the incident occurred from the list to the right and clicking "Continue".
* Report anonymously to an appropriate campus office, based on the nature of the incident. Please refer to the website for the campus where the incident occurred.
* Report anonymously via your campus' Bias Reporting page, by selecting your campus from the Local Bias Reporting menu above. If your campus does not appear on this list, there is no local reporting form available. Please use this form, instead.
* File a report with your Campus Police Department, via the Campus Police menu above.
View full policy (PDF, 121 KB).

Advertised Commitments to Free Expression

Green light policy: Policy on Speech and Advocacy 12-13

The University is committed to assuring that all persons may exercise the constitutionally protected rights of free expression, speech, assembly, and worship.
View full policy (PDF, 40 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 February 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.