Yellow Light School

Keene State 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: Public
Federal Circuit: First Circuit
Head of Institution: President Jay V Kahn
Keene State College
Hale Building
Mail Stop 1504
Keene, NH 03435-1504
603-358-2000
president@keene.edu
Website: http://www.keene.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: Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Policy 12-13

Federal and state laws define harassing behavior as occurring when: Such contact has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating a hostile or offensive working or academic environment ....
Discriminatory harassment may take the form of unwelcome sexual advances, graffiti, jokes, pranks, slurs, insults, threats, remarks made in the person's presence, interference with the person's work or academic life, vandalism, assignment of unpleasant duties, or even physical assault directed against any member of a protected class.
Sexual harassment is one form of discriminatory harassment. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when the above conditions are met.
View full policy (PDF, 280 KB).

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

Yellow light: Student Handbook: Rules and Regulations for Residence Halls/Areas 12-13

Residents will be held accountable for verbal or physical abuse or the threat of physical abuse against any person in the residence halls or at any authorized event, or other conduct which threatens or endangers the health or safety of any such person(s).
View full policy (PDF, 211 KB).

Yellow light: Student Handbook: Student Code of Conduct- Conduct Violations 12-13

Conduct that is disruptive, lewd, indecent, or infringes upon the rights of others (i.e. use of profanity, obscenity, public nudity, sexual activity in public places, water fights, etc.)
View full policy (PDF, 340 KB).

Free Speech Zones

Yellow light: Student Handbook: Use of Facilities- Political, Social, and Commercial Activities 12-13

Students and non-students shall be permitted to engage in free speech activities, solicit for contributions, and distribute literature at designated spaces on the Student Center Lawn and inside the Student Center Atrium on a space available basis provided that:

Any such activity as defined above is scheduled in advance through the Scheduling Office and in compliance with all of its policies.
View full policy (PDF, 146 KB).

Internet Usage Policies

Green light: Computer and Network Use Policy 12-13

All users may not ... Harass, defame, intimidate or threaten anyone through the use of computing or network resources.
View full policy (PDF, 136 KB).

Other Speech Codes

Yellow light: Event Planning 12-13

In accordance with the USNH Board of Trustees policy, the basic guidelines for the College Speakers policy are the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. The rights of freedom of speech and peaceful assembly are fully protected. ... The organization assumes the responsibility for maintaining order and financial responsibility for any damage which might occur as a result of disorder.
View full policy (PDF, 211 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 September 2012. 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.