Procedures for Facilitating Policy Concerning Freedom of Expression

Relevant Excerpt

All publicly accessible areas of campus, (“exterior space(s)”) may be used for expression by members of the university community.

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In order to provide necessary resources to support the exercise of one’s constitutional rights, members of the university community and the public are encouraged to register.

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To accommodate the need for immediate and spontaneous demonstration and to better facilitate the free exchange of ideas, the university has designated exterior spaces (see Appendix A) for speeches, demonstrations and other forms of expression.

Exterior spaces are available for this purpose between 8-1 a.m. In order to minimize reservation conflicts and best accommodate all interested users, the university encourages all parties to contact the Dean of Students Office at go.niu.edu/foe-form for scheduling.

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When assessing a reservation request or when informed of spontaneous expressive activities on campus, university personnel shall not consider the content of the expression except when the expressive activity constitutes unprotected speech as defined by law (i.e., fighting words, true threats, etc.), the viewpoint of the expression or the possible reaction to that expression, except to the extent such factors are relevant to assessing appropriate security measures. University personnel may not impose restrictions on individuals or organizations engaged in expressive activities due to viewpoint of their expression or the possible reaction to that expression.