To the Case Western Reserve community:
A new academic year is always energizing as we prepare for our campus to again be filled with students, faculty, staff and postdocs, and the fresh ideas they bring to our dynamic community.
This year is likely to bring a variety of challenges. As higher education professionals and students, we’re battling a debate over the value and relevance of higher education to our society. As Americans, we’re facing a contentious election campaign season. And as global citizens, we’re seeing tragedies around the world that bring devastating loss.
It’s in these challenging moments that a university’s purpose is most critical: to be a place where academic freedom is required, civic engagement is encouraged and questioning of the status quo is championed.
At Case Western Reserve, we remain committed to the free exchange of ideas on our campus. As we noted throughout the spring semester, however, those rights must always be balanced with the safety of our community, equal access to university facilities and maintenance of ongoing operations, as our freedom of expression policy clearly states.
To ensure all members of the community understand how this policy works, we have developed—in consultation with faculty, staff and student leaders—procedures and operating rules for demonstrations that outline the university’s guidelines for reasonable time, place and manner, as well as ways to gain approval.
Key points of the procedures and rules include:
- Any proposed demonstration (protest, picket, vigil, etc.) requires written pre-approval from the Freedom of Expression Policy Committee. (To request time for a demonstration, an event organizer must submit this form at least seven days prior to the proposed date.)
- Only university faculty, staff, students, postdocs and recognized university groups in good standing may make a request.
- Demonstrations are limited to two hours between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
- Demonstrations are permitted only at the Kelvin Smith Library Oval and may not be held inside any campus building or facility or obstruct any buildings or walkways.
- Tents or other structures, bonfires or other open flames, fireworks or other explosives, display or use of weapons, the projection of lights, images or videos onto any building or structure, and microphone systems or bullhorns are not permitted.
We encourage everyone to read the full procedures and rules online.
Organizers or participants in demonstrations that violate these procedures and rules will be held responsible for the violations according to relevant conduct policies.
These procedures are designed to ensure the continued safety and well-being of our entire community as well as the rich, dynamic dialogues that can—and should—occur on our campus. We look forward to engaging in such opportunities with you soon, including through a series of programs that are forthcoming from the Office of the Provost.
Wishing you a restful and reinvigorating end of summer, and a productive and enlightening semester ahead.
Sincerely,
Eric W. Kaler
President
Joy K. Ward
Provost and Executive Vice President