Red Light School

Macalester College

A red light university has at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech. Read more here.

Public or Private: Private
Federal Circuit: Eighth Circuit
Head of Institution: President Brian C Rosenberg
Macalester College
208 Weyerhaeuser Hall
62 Macalester Street
St. Paul
Saint Paul, MN 55105
651-696-6207
rosenbergb@macalester.edu
Website: http://www.macalester.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)

Green light: Student Handbook: Harassment Policy 12-13

In general, harassment includes any verbal, written, or physical conduct that
unreasonably interferes with or deprives someone with academic, social or work-related access, benefits, or opportunities in the College community
For a behavior to be termed as harassment, it must be pervasive and constitute a pattern
rather than 1-2 isolated incidents or have a pattern and/or degree of severity that the
behavior reasonably interferes with or deprives the targeted person of employment,
educational access, benefits, or opportunity.
View full policy (PDF, 437 KB).

Posting Policies

Yellow light: Student Handbook: Publicity/Posting 12-13

Individuals and/or groups will be held accountable for postings that are not respectful of Macalester College community standards.
View full policy (PDF, 195 KB).

Internet Usage Policies

Red light: Student Handbook: Facebook (and other social networking) 12-13

Students accessing "social networking services" such as Facebook, MySpace, Blogger, Twitter, and others
should carefully read the terms and conditions set forth by such services. ... In addition to violation of College policy, the posting of inappropriate material may subject students to
criminal and civil penalties. As referenced in the terms and conditions of these networking services,
students should refrain from posting material that is deemed to be criminal; harassing; racially, sexually,
ethnically or religiously objectionable; defamatory; obscene; invasive of another’s privacy; or infringing
of copyright.
View full policy (PDF, 64 KB).

Policies on Bias and Hate Speech

Yellow light: Harassment or Bias Incident Online Report Form 12-13

This form should be used to report any event believed to have been hate- or bias-motivated and that happened to you at Macalester College or in the Twin Cities area. Your responses can be anonymous unless you chose to include identifying information on this form. ... Nature of Incident (check all that apply): Derogatory jokes or comments based on a social identity (race, religion, sex, ability, religion, etc.) ....
View full policy (PDF, 146 KB).

Yellow light: Student Handbook: Harassment Policy- Hate Incidents 12-13

Hate incidents are an affront to the entire community. If one occurs, the entire
Macalester College community will likely be informed.... Notification about hate incidents is necessary both to
protect the safety of community members, as well as to raise campus awareness. Notification is necessary
for facilitating the healing process for the targeted person, group, and the entire community through
campus dialogue and collective problem solving.
Hate incidents are
words or actions that target, threaten, or attack an individual or group because of their
actual or perceived race, color, national or ethnic origin, religious affiliation, gender,
disability, or sexual orientation.
View full policy (PDF, 437 KB).

Red light: Harassment & Bias Prevention Support & Resources: Frequently Asked Questions 12-13

Bias-related incidents refer to language, images or behaviors that demonstrate bias against another person based on but not limited to his or her membership in a group, based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, or an individual’s particular characteristics, role, or behavior.
Depending on the totality of the circumstances, writing a racial epithet in erasable marker on someone’s dry-erase board, making fun of another person because of his or her language or accent, or making insulting comments about someone’s traditional manner of dress or geographic origin are hypothetical examples of a bias-related incident.
The College does value freedom of expression and the open exchange of ideas. This value of openness protects controversial ideas, but it does not protect harassment or expression of bias or harassment aimed at individuals that violate college policy.
View full policy (PDF, 229 KB).

Advertised Commitments to Free Expression

Green light policy: Student Handbook: Student Rights, Freedoms & Responsibilities Document- Preamble 12-13

Macalester College exists for the transmission of knowledge and the pursuit of truth. Free inquiry, free expression and responsibly free activity are indispensable to the attainment of these goals.
View full policy (PDF, 267 KB).

Green light policy: Student Handbook: Student Rights, Freedoms & Responsibilities Document- Expression and Inquiry in Campus Activities 12-13

Students and student organizations are free to examine and discuss all questions of interest to them and to express opinions publicly and privately.
View full policy (PDF, 267 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.