This policy is Dartmouth's statement of principles concerning freedom of expression. It provides guidance to the institution and its students on freedom of expression and its bounds at Dartmouth. Dartmouth policies and actions related to expressive activity must be consistent with the principles articulated in this statement.
Dartmouth prizes, defends, and upholds freedom of expression and dissent as fundamental to its academic mission, which relies vitally on open discourse and the free exchange of ideas. The right to this freedom is not unfettered. Its exercise must reciprocally allow for others at Dartmouth to exercise the same freedom, must not deliberately obstruct the principal functions and activities of the institution, and must not constitute unlawful activity or prohibited conduct such as harassment, discrimination, retaliation, coercion, or threat. Within those general bounds, freedom of expression and dissent is broadly protected and any limitation imposed by Dartmouth on expressive activity must be content and viewpoint neutral and narrowly tailored to serve a substantial institutional interest. Dartmouth expects its campus to be a space for lively discussion and that limitations of expressive activities will be the exception not the norm. Students are encouraged to exercise the right of freedom of expression and dissent and are responsible for respecting its boundaries.
Dartmouth prizes and defends freedom of expression and dissent as fundamental to its academic mission of learning, teaching, research, discovery, scholarship, and creative work, which relies vitally on open discourse and the free exchange of ideas. Dartmouth therefore upholds and protects the right of its students to exercise that freedom.
At the same time Dartmouth recognizes that this freedom exists in the context of its residential community and mission as an academic institution, in the context of federal and state law and local ordinances, and in responsibility for one's own actions. The right to free expression and dissent is not unfettered. Its exercise must reciprocally allow for others at Dartmouth to exercise the same freedom, must not deliberately obstruct the principal functions and activities of the institution, and must not constitute unlawful activity or prohibited conduct such as harassment, discrimination, retaliation, coercion, or threat. (See also: the standards of conduct adopted by Dartmouth's schools.)
Within those general bounds, freedom of expression and dissent is broadly protected and any limitation imposed by Dartmouth on expressive activity must be content and viewpoint neutral and narrowly tailored to serve a substantial institutional interest. Expressive activity, and the right to refrain from it, will not be restricted because of subject matter, message, or point of view. This is equally true whether the expression is, for example, popular or unpopular, accepted or contested, considered sympathetic or offensive, or whether it is made in celebration or protest, joy or sorrow, affirmation or dissent. Dartmouth expects its campus to be a space for lively discussion and that limitations of expressive activities will be the exception not the norm.
Formal academic instruction depends in part on the imposition of constraints on expression and expressive conduct. The constraints are ordinary and familiar. Academic assignments such as projects, exams, presentations, or papers are all forms of expression that, for the purpose of instruction, may reasonably be required, limited, or evaluated, including with respect to content and viewpoint. Not all ideas, claims, arguments, or creative works are equal in the context of academic study, for here they are answerable to standards of evidence, truth, reason, inquiry, and technique within their disciplines. A key purpose of education is to learn to ascertain the differences. Likewise, class instruction and discussion — even comparatively free-wheeling class conversation — involve ordinary and reasonable regulation of expressive conduct: orderly discussion, quiet as needed, answering questions, staying on topic, making relevant criticisms, receiving feedback, affording mutual respect, and so on. The same holds true whether the relevant class forum is in person or in another medium or format.
Such local constraints on expression in formal academic instruction are grounded in standards of competency in the subject matter and methods of the relevant disciplines and determined by the faculty in accordance with the principles of academic freedom. They are local because they extend only as far as the borders of the course: they do not constrain extra-curricular expression. But within those borders, they establish valid limits. By choosing to enroll in a given course of formal academic instruction, students consent to local constraints of this sort on their expressive activities, and they consent to constraints arising from principles of academic honor (rules on citation, prohibitions against plagiarism or cheating, etc.).
Formal athletics programs — including varsity, club, and intramural athletics — also depend in part on local constraints on expression and expressive conduct, based on principles of sportsmanship and ethical conduct integral to the role of athletics in the educational mission at Dartmouth. Rules of respect, fairness, civility, and responsibility at practices or contests, for example, may reasonably require or limit expressive activity by student athletes or spectators (e.g., prohibiting abusive or derogatory language at events), while also taking care to respect Dartmouth's general commitment to freedom of expression and dissent (e.g., permitting non-disruptive acts of protest or demonstration). Such rules are grounded in standards and methods of the relevant athletics disciplines and are determined by Dartmouth athletics officials and coaches in accordance with the principles of collegiate athletics. By choosing to participate in or attend formal athletics programs or events, students consent to local constraints of this sort on their expressive activities.
See also: Dartmouth's Spectator Policy, Dartmouth College Athletics Department Code of Conduct, and Student-Athlete Handbook.
Similarly, institutional arts programming — for example, exhibitions, screenings, or performances hosted by the Hood Museum or Hopkins Center — rely on principles of civility and respect in order to serve their roles in the educational mission and may establish related codes of conduct, as determined by Dartmouth's arts program directors and curators, in accordance with principles of the wider academic arts field. Local constraints and codes of conduct of this sort are valid with respect to activity within the scope of the relevant athletics or arts program, in whatever forum, medium or format in which that program's related activities take place; they do not constrain expression outside of it. By choosing to participate in or attend formal arts programs or events, students consent to local constraints of this sort on their expressive activities.
See also: the Hopkins Center Visitor Code of Conduct, Hood Museum Rules.
To support its principal functions and activities, Dartmouth has to balance many interests of the institution and its residential community, among them the freedom of expression and dissent. Dartmouth puts parameters on events and activities, including expressive activities, to serve such substantial interests as the following guiding examples:
Parameters on events and activities include, but are not limited to, restrictions on time, place, and manner, and rules related to safety, permitting, reservations, and posting. (Some examples are given in the "Guidelines and Considerations for Students and Student Organizations in Planning Expressive Activities.") All such rules and restrictions, and their application, are to be content and viewpoint neutral, and their use to limit expressive activity should be employed only when necessary and always in accord with Dartmouth's general commitment to fostering a culture of open expression.
Amendments to this policy shall be made as follows: