The Student Government at the College of William and Mary has just passed a resolution demanding an end to restrictive speech zones on their campus and a new policy on chalking.
Last semester student leaders at William and Mary were surprised at the announcements of two new campus policies regulating student speech. Student groups were informed that the University would be “cracking down” on chalking event notices on sidewalks. This announcement came on the heels of last years Student Government election where candidates were surprised to learn they could only campaign in newly designated “Free Speech Areas.”
While the College of William and Mary has had its share of high profile free speech fights, in recent semesters, students there have enjoyed relatively unfettered rights to assemble on campus and advertise events with chalk. They rightly recognized a policy that limits their expressive activity to a few small areas of campus was clearly beyond the scope of a reasonable regulation and began a campaign last semester to eliminate them.
Student Government members have already elicited commitments of support from several key campus players, including William and Mary’s president. The Center will continue working with the Student Government to ensure the free exchange of ideas is protected.