• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • The Wellesley (COVID) 100
      The Wellesley (COVID) 100
    • In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
      In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
    • Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
      Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
      The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
    • Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
      Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
    • No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
      No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
      Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
    • No image
      Birds Falling Upwards: Wellesley College Theater’s The Moors is a Must-See
    • No image
      Sometimes you just need to read a YA “Groundhog Day” to feel something
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Health and Wellness
    • February Student Athlete of the Month
      February Student Athlete of the Month
    • Athletics Update
      Athletics Update
    • Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
      Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
      Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
    • Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
      Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
    • Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
      Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Renée Remsberg News, News and FeaturesDecember 4, 2019

School releases new policy on demonstration and free expression

Photo Courtesy of Emily Lashelle '21

On Nov. 25, members of Wellesley’s upper administration sent a school-wide email announcing the release of the new policy on demonstration and free expression on campus, which has been in the works since the interim policy was suspended in fall of last year. According to a joint statement to the Wellesley News from Provost Andrew Shennan, Vice President and Dean of Students Sheila Horton and Assistant Vice President for Human Resources Carolyn Slaboden, the goal of the policy is to provide greater clarity and transparency for students regarding guidelines for demonstrations and protests and inform students of their rights to lawfully protest, given that we are on Wellesley’s private college campus.

Prior to the interim policy, the College, unlike many similar institutions, did not have a demonstration policy. While the interim policy was intended to mitigate this lack, community backlash prompted its suspension by Wellesley President Paula Johnson in September of last year. According to the joint statement, in order to address concerns community members had over the timing of the policy’s release and the process by which it was created, the school assembled a team of approximately 14 students, including student activists and members of College Government, to work with Provost Shennan, Dean Horton and Slaboden to create a policy with more community input than the former version. 

According to the joint statement, there are numerous changes from the interim policy to the new version. The main concerns with the previous version was the intense legalistic focus and the use of campus police as the main advisor to would-be protests. The new policy addresses these concerns and limits the use of campus police only in situations in which violence or threats of violence are present. 

The new policy begins by outlining “fundamental principles” that emphasize the role of freedom of expression and peaceful protests on campus, but draws the line at actions that “threaten safety, suppress others’ right to speech or disrupt the education of Wellesley students.” The document goes on to say that students are required to inform the school two days before the event via the Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of the Provost or the Office of Human Resources. Additionally, the school included a list of seven pieces of information students are required to provide when notifying the College including time, location and contact information of the organizers. 

The guidelines go on to state that the administration reserves the right to modify any protests that they are made aware of that infringe on one of the aforementioned limitations, such as those blocking access to facilities or using bullhorns in buildings. Furthermore, it outlines several forms of protest that are explicitly prohibited, including the use of weaponry or drawing on building with chalk. Responses for rule violations are also included. According to the text, the first action the school will take is direct contact from a “designated college official” with protest organizers, and if the behavior continues the violation will be “addressed as appropriate.” This extends to incidents of civil disobedience, and according to the initial email, students who engage in this act cannot “presume to avoid all consequences.”

“We hope that Wellesley students will understand that our goal has always been to support the rights of our community to express their views on issues of concern,” the joint statement said. “This policy is not intended to prevent demonstrations but to provide greater clarity about the College’s handling of them.”

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleThe Wellesley Student Aid Society’s Clothes Closet reopened and reconfigured
Next articleSenate votes down Hong Kong Lennon wall proposal

You may also like

The Wellesley (COVID) 100

In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays

Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2022 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top