To: The Wellesley College Community
From: President Paula A. Johnson; Courtney C. Coile, Provost and Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College; and Sheilah Shaw Horton, Vice President and Dean of Students
Re: Supporting free expression while maintaining a safe and inclusive campus
Date: September 2, 2024
We hope everyone has had a restorative and productive summer. We are looking forward to having everyone back on campus for the start of the academic year.
As we come together on campus, we will continue to focus on our educational mission while upholding both our commitment to being a community that values free expression and our responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of all. This requires us to think deeply about how we can sustain a culture of mutual regard, particularly in times of disagreement and discord as we witness the tragic ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and so many other places, and amid a very divisive U.S. election campaign.
How can we uphold free expression while remaining open to civil discourse? How do we value listening—and practice it? How do we uphold ideals like inclusive excellence in a way that allows each of us to speak without fear of social rebuke? What can we do to ensure the work of the College can continue while maintaining a safe environment where all feel welcome and able to take advantage of everything we have to offer?
We have begun the necessary work to answer these questions, and we will continue during the academic year and beyond. Fortunately, the College has a common set of practices and policies that provide our community with a strong foundation. Below, we have summarized key policies related to free expression, demonstration, and academic freedom that can ground us as we enter a new academic year. We ask that all members of our community review and understand these policies, and respect the role of our student life staff who implement them with care and concern.
Wellesley is a remarkable intellectual community. To create space for learning and respectful dialogue, our faculty are planning a wide variety of events and discussions this fall on many of the most pressing issues of the day. We will be sharing details about some of these opportunities shortly. At these events, as well as in our classrooms, our residence halls, and every place in between, we look forward to the robust and civil exchange of ideas, empathetic listening, and vibrant curiosity that make Wellesley a place of learning for all of us.
Summary of Wellesley College Policies Related to Free Expression and Nondiscrimination
Policy on demonstrations and free expression
Our demonstration policy was created several years ago based on the recommendations of a committee that included faculty, staff, and students. The policy recognizes Wellesley’s rights and responsibilities as a private institution, and it is intended to promote free expression while ensuring a safe and inclusive environment.
Part of the policy states: “[T]he College reserves the right to modify the time, place, or manner of a demonstration when there is a reasonable expectation that it may threaten safety, suppress others’ right to speech, or disrupt the education of students, such as by interfering with the ability of others to see, hear, or participate in another event, class or academic activity.” Community members are required to provide notification to the College two days in advance for protests and demonstrations. All of our peer colleges and universities have similar policies.
In accordance with this policy as well as the Code of Student Conduct, the following activities are prohibited:
- Blocking access to campus facilities or activities or impeding traffic, including to the venue in which another event is being held.
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Using chalk or paint on campus buildings or otherwise causing damage to any structures or causing injury to individuals.
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Engaging in theft, vandalism, or other property damage.
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Using intimidating tactics or unwelcome physical contact between demonstrators, counter-demonstrators, audience members, speakers or performers, or College officials.
Other important rules include:
- Bullhorns or other loud or amplified sound-making devices cannot be used inside buildings and cannot interfere with an outdoor event, class, or academic activity.
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Posters and banners may only be displayed in designated areas. Signs cannot be constructed of hard materials other than cloth or cardboard, and cannot be so large as to obstruct others’ views.
- As a private institution, Wellesley College may require members of the public who are not current faculty, staff, or students to leave Wellesley College property.
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All individuals must comply with directions and show College identification when requested by College employees or law enforcement officers.
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Protestors and demonstrators who cause substantial disruption to academic activities and business operations are subject to disciplinary measures.
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Unregistered protestors and demonstrators are subject to disciplinary measures.
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Consistent with past practice, unauthorized tents and other structures on campus are subject to removal.
Other time, place, and manner modifications may be appropriate to ensure safety and the continuation of the College’s educational mission.
Academic freedom
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Wellesley’s Academic Council adopted and abides by the American Association of University Professors’ “1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure” for our faculty, which makes clear that academic freedom includes a responsibility to create and safeguard the conditions that enable learning.
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As noted in the statement, instructors “should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.”
Nondiscrimination
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Wellesley has strong policies that prohibit discrimination and hate on our campus, and the College has a legal obligation to provide a safe and welcoming educational environment for every student. The College will take action to respond to conduct that creates a hostile environment in violation of our nondiscrimination policy.
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All members of our community are required to complete training on Title VI’s protection of students who experience discrimination or harassment based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, or their citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity. All faculty and staff who have not yet taken the training should do so here; students should take the training here. You will first need to be signed into your Wellesley Zoom account.
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Wellesley offers anonymous reporting of any form of discrimination or harassment, and any individual who reports an allegation of discrimination is protected from retaliation.
Links to relevant policies
