* This policy is in draft form for faculty subject to shared governance procedures.

Connecticut College's mission, "To educate students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens in a global society," requires the free exchange of ideas. Therefore, speech and expressive activities are generally considered protected. Further, the College is committed to applying its policies without regard to the viewpoint expressed.

At times, perspectives and beliefs will be challenged, and this may cause discomfort for some individuals.

To ensure outlets for expression and to facilitate the exchange of ideas while allowing the operations of the College to continue, reasonable time, place, and manner regulations on speech and expressive activities are in place. Additionally, the College prohibits legally unprotected speech such as threats, discrimination, and harassment as prohibited by state and federal law or by the College’s Harassment and Nondiscrimination Policy.

The following policies and procedures are in place to support student, faculty, and staff expression on campus, including academic freedom, and to balance the needs of many individuals in the College community.

Time, Place, and Manner Requirements

Demonstrations, Protests, and Assemblies

All demonstrations, protests, or assemblies must be conducted in a lawful and peaceful manner. Conduct that disrupts or interferes with Conn campus events or operations is not permitted. Planned or spontaneous demonstrations, protests, or assemblies are restricted to those areas of property owned or operated by Connecticut College that the general campus could regularly access, provided that the participants in such demonstrations, protests, or other assemblies do not:

  • Disrupt the orderly conduct of instruction, research, administration, disciplinary proceedings, or other College events and activities, including but not limited to, dining activities and/or athletic activities;
  • Use sound amplification equipment as part of spontaneous demonstrations, protests, or assemblies (for demonstrations, protest, or assemblies that are registered as an event of the College the organizer may request the use of amplification equipment through the event registration process);
  • Hold demonstrations, protests, or assemblies in offices, work areas, teaching areas, libraries, laboratories, athletic facilities, or residence halls;
  • Refuse to leave any building, facility, classroom, and/or office after being asked to do so by a Conn official or other authorized official or remain in any above listed space after it is normally closed (absent approval from Campus Safety and Facilities or another Conn official).
  • Interfere, in any manner, with vehicular or pedestrian traffic or access to or exit from any Conn campus or buildings, classrooms, libraries, meeting rooms, offices, or other campus premises;
  • Shout down or interfere with the freedom of any person to speak, including invited speakers (or engage in a “heckler’s veto”);
  • Erect permanent, semi-permanent and/or temporary structures for any activity (including large installations or statues) unless approved by Facilities and Campus Safety and the space is registered with the events office;
  • Engage in demonstrations, protests, or other assemblies between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.;
  • Engage in demonstrations, protests, or assemblies on Reading Days or Exam Days;
  • Damage or destroy institution property or institution resources (including as described in the chalking section of this policy), or remove or use such institution property or resources that are not normally available for such use without authorization;
  • Use candles or open flames unless given approval by Campus Safety
  • Possess firearms or any other weapons, torches, sticks, poles (except for mobility aids used for accessibility purposes), or any other items that may be used as weapons (demonstrators may carry signs or flags as long as those items are not attached to a stick or a pole) on any Conn-affiliated property premises;
  • Use placards, banners, signs, and other displays to create a direct physical hazard for people on or off-campus;
  • Physically restrain or detain any person or remove such person from any place where they are authorized or otherwise free to remain;
  • Interfere with or violate the directions of Conn institutional officials or law enforcement officials acting in the performance of their duties; and
  • Violate any other federal, state, or local law, or College policy.

Participants in demonstrations, protests, or other assemblies may not wear masks or otherwise disguise their identities. This does not preclude a participant from wearing a face mask for health reasons. A participant must provide identification if asked by a Conn official.

Community members must reserve space through the events office by contacting events@conncoll.edu. Any time a non-College entity (i.e. a group or organization) is involved in a demonstration, protest, or assembly (even if students are also involved), the event must be registered through the events office by contacting events@conncoll.edu. Furthermore, students, faculty, and staff are responsible for the actions of their guests in accordance with the relevant policies.

Non-College entities and individuals may not reserve space for demonstrations, protests, or assemblies. The College reserves the right to ask unaffiliated members of the public to leave campus at any time.

Posters, Chalkings, and Projections

Items may be posted on campus that adhere to the requirements listed below. The requirements are informed by health and safety codes, maintenance of College property, the College’s commitment to sustainability, and the College’s recognition that multiple groups may seek to use the same locations for posters and chalkings. Posted items or chalking that do not adhere to the requirements may be immediately removed by authorized College employees.

  1. Posters, banners, advertisements (including large banners and “yard signs”), and chalking must contain in the lower right-hand corner contact information and the date when it is posted. Contact information includes one of the following:
    1. a valid Connecticut College email address
    2. a registered College club/organization name or College sponsoring department/office name
    3. a valid name of a Conn College student, faculty, or staff member and phone number
  2. Content cannot be threatening or harassing to individuals or groups (see definitions of threats and harassment below) or violate the law or College policies.
  3. Only non-permanent types of material (such as poster tape/painters tape, water-soluble chalk) may be used. Please note that duct tape and spray chalk may not be used.
  4. Items may only be posted for specific periods of time.
    1. Postings/chalkings advertising specific events/programs must be removed 24 hours after the event/program ends.
    2. Postings/chalkings for non-events (i.e., information only) may be posted no longer than 7 days from the posted date included in the lower right-hand corner of the posting or adjacent to the chalking.
    3. Postings that advertise resources on campus (e.g., Academic Resource Center hours, health-related services, AA meetings, departmental resources, or similar materials) may remain posted indoors for the semester if they are located in approved locations noted below.
  5. Items may only be posted (or chalked) in the designated locations below.
    1. Indoor Locations
      1. Televisions/video monitors - Access to these is granted by the individual department that manages the monitor
      2. General use bulletin boards and display cases in all campus buildings (please note some offices/departments may have bulletin boards/display cases intended for a specific use)
      3. Crozier-Williams Bulletin Boards - While the building is being renovated, items may only be posted on the two bulletin boards located on the first floor of Crozier-Williams.
      4. Shain Library - Posters or flyers for events, etc., may only be placed on the bulletin board next to the main entrance of Shain Library, or on the smaller bulletin board in the Blue Camel Café.
      5. Harris Dining Hall Elevator Rotunda
      6. Residential Buildings
        1. Each residential house has one large or two small bulletin boards per floor. Residents may post on designated portions of the bulletin boards. The other portion of the board is for the Residential Life house staff.
        2. Banners, flags, neon signs, decorative lights, etc., may not be displayed in windows or on the outside of residential houses.
        3. Students may only cover 50% of their assigned room door (see residential life policies for additional information)
        4. Individuals are not permitted to place items under student room doors. Student organizations or departments must receive approval from the Director of Residential Life to place items under student room doors.
        5. Bathrooms - Postings are not permitted in bathrooms (only SGA On the Can and Camels Care Emergency resources may be posted inside bathrooms/stall doors).
      7. Campus Mailboxes - Individuals are not permitted to stuff student mailboxes. Departments/offices must seek approval from their senior administrator and student organizations must receive approval from the Director for Student Engagement to stuff campus mailboxes.
      8. Banners- Space may be reserved via ConnQuest by student organizations registered with the Office of Student Engagement & New Student Programs.
        1. Banner space may be reserved for isolated dates or for week-long blocks.
        2. Banners may not cover fire equipment
        3. If an individual student or unregistered student organization wishes to reserve a space, special permission must be given by the Associate Director of Student Engagement & New Student Programs or the events office. The wall space may be reserved for no longer than two weeks.
    2. Outdoor Locations
      1. Small signs (known as “real estate” or “yard” signs) may be inserted into campus grounds using the standard size sign and wire frame stake. These may be ordered through the College’s print shop (Copy Cats).
      2. Banners/signs may not obstruct pedestrian walkways, building entrances, or official College signs.
      3. Banners/signs may not obstruct or be placed adjacent to roadways. No items may be displayed from the Route 32 pedestrian overpass (per state regulations).
      4. For fire safety reasons, items may not be affixed to the exterior of buildings unless permission is received from Facilities Management.
      5. For small installations or displays (such as small sculptures, ribbons, flags in the ground or similar objects otherwise not described in the policy), individuals should reserve the space (indoor or outdoor) with the Events Office.
  6. Additional details related to chalking
    1. Location: Chalk may be used only on outdoor sidewalks and other pedestrian walkways that are open to the sky and the weather. Chalk may not be used on walls or other vertical surfaces, windows, or on covered outdoor areas (e.g., under overhangs or archways). Chalk may not be used indoors.
    2. Format: Chalk messages must use temporary materials (e.g., only water-soluble chalk may be used, not spray chalk) and may not exceed 4 feet by 4 feet. Additionally, so that multiple groups/organizations can utilize each location (for example, in order for multiple events to be advertised or for multiple viewpoints to be expressed in the same location) no more than approximately 50% of each area (building entrances, for example) may be covered by a single group’s chalking.
    3. Content: Chalk messages may not include content that is harassing, threatening, or that violates law or College policy.
    4. Removal: Authorized College employees may remove chalking that does not comply with this policy, or after 7 days, or in the normal course of cleaning facilities and grounds.
  7. Posting Removal
    1. No one other than the person who posted the item (or authorized College employees) may remove, deface, obscure, or destroy existing posters that follow the guidelines. Violations may result in disciplinary action.
    2. Postings that do not include contact information or otherwise do not adhere to this policy will be removed immediately. Costs associated with removal or damage to College property from posted items will be billed to the responsible person/organization/office.
    3. Postings must be removed by the sponsoring individual/group within 24 hours after the event ends or at the end of the reservation period. All other postings for non-events (i.e., information only) must be removed seven days from the posted date. Postings for resources on campus (i.e., Academic Resource Center hours, health-related services, AA meetings, departmental information, and similar materials) may remain posted longer than seven days if they are located indoors in authorized locations.
    4. Items posted in stairwells, on doors (excluding residence hall room and office doors), windows, glass walls (excluding offices), vending machines, mirrors, painted surfaces or other non-approved/unreserved locations will be removed.
    5. The College may remove postings that otherwise adhere to the policy at the end of the semester for campus-wide cleanup.
    6. Authorized staff typically remove postings that do not adhere to this policy.
  8. Absent pre-agreement from the College, light projections, including but not limited to, on buildings, are prohibited.

Speakers and Other Non-Community Members Facilitating Events on Campus

  1. Any student, faculty, staff, club, organization, or group must follow the routine procedures for hosting a speaker on campus. This includes reserving space with the events office, adhering to advertising/posting policies, and coordinating necessary arrangements to ensure safe management of the event. Absent pre-agreement from the College, any additional, non-routine costs for safe management of an event are the responsibility of the sponsoring individual or organization.
  2. A point of contact (name and phone number) must be identified as part of the event registration process
  3. Institutional control of campus facilities will not be used as a device of viewpoint censorship.
  4. The event may not interfere with the operations of the College (refer to the Demonstrations, Protests, and Assemblies section of this policy).
  5. The event needs to adhere to College policies and local, state, and federal laws (i.e., fire safety codes).

Additional Prohibited Conduct

  1. Threats - Any statement, communication, conduct, or gesture, including those in verbal or written form, directed toward any member of the College community that causes a reasonable apprehension of physical harm to a person or property.
  2. Harassment and discrimination as defined in the Connecticut College Harassment and Nondiscrimination Policy.

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