Sample Policy

University of Nevada at Reno’s policy on public forums

Background

Until 2006, the University of Nevada at Reno’s policy on university space designated only four small or remote areas as “public forums.” Pressure from student activists, FIRE, and the ACLU ultimately convinced the administrators to review their policy on university spaces to better protect expressive rights. The new policy, still in place today, defines all outdoor areas of campus as public forums, effectively eliminating free speech zones. Developed in consultation with students, faculty, and staff, the policy includes reasonable time, place, manner restrictions as well as certain reservation and scheduling requirements to allow the university enough time to plan for large events.

Full text

What we like about this policy

  • Sets reasonable, content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions that help avoid the disruption of campus functions without muzzling spontaneous expression in public spaces.
  • Rejects free speech zones and designates all outdoor areas on campus as public forums.
  • Provides a comprehensive list of areas that require prior reservations to ensure that students are properly informed and that the school can prepare for large-scale events and keep them safe.

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