¶ … college or university with a "speech code." Would this code stand up to a constitutional test? Why or why not? According to your understanding of the First Amendment, are speech codes constitutional?
Speech codes at private universities such as Emory University are clearly constitutional given that a private institution has discretion when defining the behaviors that are acceptable for individuals who voluntarily agree to become part of the community. First Amendment rights are not infinite: harassment, for example, that intimidates another individual and makes a student fear for his or her safety is not permitted under the Constitution. Emory's speech code was created so that all students are able to fully benefit from the educational opportunities available on campus. The code prohibits speech or conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment and is designed to ensure that students do not feel threatened or discriminated against in a way that could cause them psychological distress and impact their education (Uelmen 1992). While all students will eventually leave the campus and be subject to 'real world' pressures, Emory believes that a certain extra level of protection within the university environment can be beneficial for a student's education. The types of speech prohibited by the Emory speech code are not those pertaining to rational discourse, but the type of speech designed to make students feel inferior and unsafe while they pursue a (very expensive and time-consuming) education. The student's right to an education cannot be 'trumped' by another student's right to say hateful things designed to make another student feel as if he or she has no right to attend class, to be on campus, or to speak his or her own opinion.
Of course, some may disagree with Emory's educational philosophy. Those who do are free to seek their higher education elsewhere: "Court rulings have prohibited public (state-run) colleges and universities from enacting codes that restrict the constitutional right to free speech based on content. Private institutions, in contrast, are not subject to these decisions. Emory, for example, as a private university, can ignore public law rulings and draft whatever hate speech policy it chooses" (Uelmen 1992).
Work Cited
Uelmen, Gerald. "The Price of Free Speech: Campus Hate Speech Codes."
Issues in Ethics. 5. 2. Summer 1992. January 2, 2010.
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v5n2/codes.html
College Drinking There are many stereotypes regarding college life and these stereotypes inform students, rightly or wrongly about ways to behave while attending school. Regardless of whether these stereotypical behaviors are detrimental or beneficial, you see them repeated by students in all regions and most ages. Films and television programs all feature certain aspects of college which are then repeated over and over again, regardless of the frequency they actually occur
University of Phoenix Lawsuit University of Phoenix/EEOC Lawsuit In 2006, the Equal Employment Opportunity Council (EEOC) sued the University of Phoenix, alleging that enrollment counselors who were non-Mormon were discriminated against. The federal lawsuit states that employees who were not Mormon (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) were not treated favorably when it came to reprimands, tuition waivers, and leads on new students (Gilbertson, 2006). There are 4400
College athletes' payment issue drags the development of the game within the association (NCAA). The debate of whether college athletes should obtain payment for their services needs to rest by extensive solution. The perfect way to solve the issue at hand involves additional payment for the services of the college athletes. This would supplement the scholarships and accommodation fees university and college athletes enjoy currently. There are several reasons why
Federal admission issues Before one can even consider the issue of whether or not illegal immigrants should be eligible for financial aid, one must first investigate whether or not these students are even permitted to attend American institutes of higher education. Like the other questions addressed in this paper, there is no clear answer to this question. At this time, there is no federal law prohibiting illegal immigrants from attending institutes
College and College Enrollment How do current college enrollment patterns differ from those of 50 years ago? Does this impact you as a student in any way? When most people talk about college, what comes up most often is the cost of college. One of the most striking things to me about how college enrollment patterns are different from those of 50 years ago is the fact that most college students who
University Students Engaged in Paid Employment APA- 6th Edition For various reasons, there has been an increase in employment in university students. One reason for this shift is a change in the demographics of university students. No longer are university students primarily composed of young adults who transition immediately from primary education to the university setting. Instead, many university students are non-traditional students. Many of them are older, have families, and have
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now